Sea's my home, and so are you
by ohthatboy35
Summary: Her father has shunned her, leaving her no choice but to take her dead brother's identity to enroll in the Navy. There she'll meet a certain James Norrington, who doesn't know that she's a woman. Takes place before CotBP, during CotBP, during DMC. Norrington/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimers: POTC is not mine, and James Norrington is certainly not mine either, though I wish...**

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'Away, I'm done with you, ungrateful and incompetent child. I pray to never set eyes on you again' the man said, his voice filled with anger and disgust.

'But father, what have I ever done for you treat me like this?' His daughter pleaded, tears brimming at her eyes. 'I swear, if you told me what to do, I'd do it. Just tell me, father, please.'

'You being still here is what troubles me. You being alive while your brother lies dead in his grave. You standing there, breathing, living, while he can't. I wish you were dead in his stead!' the man spat.

Charles Reynolds was a proud and a harsh man. He never talked lightly, he would choose carefully and mean any word he uttered. He had never been a kind man, not even with his wife who had died from a fever soon after the birth of her son, about seventeen years ago. Although being from the aristocratic society, Charles Reynolds was a peculiar man, who scarcely went out to meet with his fellow affluent friends. He spent his days in his estate of Charleston. His only joys were the books and treaties he read in his office, and how well faired his son, who promised to be a great officer in His Majesty's Royal Navy.

He never cared about his daughter, his first child. If he could, he would have got rid of her with a marriage to any man who proposed, if the said man lived far enough from South Carolina. It's not that Charlotte was a worry or anything, but he simply didn't know what good she could bring to him. Of course, she had received a proper education fit to her standing, with several tutors who complimented him many times on how his daughter was a fast learner and how impressive was her memory, no matter what the subject was. As such, none could say that he neglected her.

The other reason he bore with her constant presence was because of the fond liking her young brother had for her. Despite their slight difference of age, Lawrence was born three years after her, they were inseparable. Lawrence never saw why he should behave any differently because Charlotte was his sister and not a brother. When he was of age to learn fencing and the basics of naval navigation, he would teach it back to her, leading them to spend many an afternoon talking about how wonderful it must feel to be at sea, or playing with sticks, then with proper swords. Naturally, Lawrence had a great advantage on his sister, being by the age of fourteen more than a head taller than her, even though Charlotte was quite tall for a girl.

Mr Reynolds never understood that wildness in his daughter, for all he knew, he had never heard his friends or distant relatives talking about their daughters playing with swords or wanting to learn all that concerned warfare business and the Navy. But he let it slip through for his son's sake. If Lawrence was happy, then he himself was happy too. And now grief made him lose reason.

'Why are you still here? I said I was done with you. Go pack your things and go, I don't care what may happen to you. Now that my beloved son has past, I have nothing to hold on to. Now leave me… GO!' with those words, he turned away and locked himself up in his office.

Charlotte was desperate. Her dear brother's death already felt like an open wound in her heart, and her father's words didn't help at all. Sure she never had strong affections for her progenitor, but it hurt her deeply to be shunned and therefore deprived of any dowry or inheritance she might have claimed.

She ran to her room and sat on her bed, crying in her hands. If she didn't leave tonight, only God knows how her father would forcefully cast her out. 'He might even kill me…' she realized with dread. She hated the state she was in, she wasn't one for crying usually, but since her brother fell from his horse the previous week, and now that she knew how strong her father's hatred was towards her, she was quite naturally shaken.

She took a deep breath, her eyes now dry, and started to pace in her room.

'I have to do something. Should I join my cousins and explain them my situation? No, even now, I won't bring dishonour on my father by showing to the world how he treated me. But I need to go somewhere though… If not with them at Port Royal, then where? There's no way I'm staying with my friends here, I won't take advantage of their generosity. What if I helped people in town? Surely, some of them must need a cheap hand?'

Thoughts ran freely in her mind, exploring any possibility, and then she stopped pacing. She knew what to do, it was a bold move, but she had to take that risk. Running to the opposite side of the corridor, she went to Lawrence's room. As she looked at his former belongings, she fought back her tears and started rummaging through what was once his. She then stuffed his navy uniform in a bag and put aside a pair of plain brown pants, a loose shirt, a couple of pairs of socks, and a pair of boots. She looked around, trying to find her brother's sword and dagger. After some time, she found the dagger in a drawer and the sword under his bed. She took the pile of clothes she had put aside, the bag, the weapons, and headed to her bedroom.

It was lucky that the servants in her house weren't supposed to attend to her needs, that way nobody noticed what she was doing. She closed the door, dropped her brother's belongings on her bed, and started undressing, her dress pooling at her feet.

'Oh god, I haven't thought of that problem…' a hand on her breast, she flushed. 'What am I doing? I'll never look like my brother, not even like a boy…' She almost felt beaten by the idea, but her quick mind eventually pushed her into action. She looked in her trunk filled with clothes, and found what she was looking for. She deftly wrapped a particularly long ivory scarf around her breast to bind her chest. True, she wasn't as endowed as her friends, but the decently large swelling would definitely give her femininity away. Looking into the mirror on her table, she sighed with relief. Though it was unpleasant to wear, her breast was now quite flat. The other thing to conceal was her monthly blood. She opened a drawer and took out her soft stick and linen rags then stuffed them in the bag. Of course she'd have to be careful, but it wasn't something she couldn't handle.

She proceeded to put on her brother's clothes, making the pair of pants fit her with a slim belt and turning up the legs that were way too long; she put on two pairs of socks so that the boots wouldn't be too large; as for the shirt, it was thankfully just slightly too large and thick enough to hide her bindings. Facing the mirror once again, she realized she had completely forgotten, about her hair. With a sigh, she took a pair of scissors and lock by lock started to cut down her golden blonde hair to just above her shoulders and tied what remained with a black ribbon that was at hand.

She stepped back and took a full look at herself. 'Oh!' In front of her was standing a young man looking very alike her brother, though with the difference that the latter had brown eyes when she had grey-blue ones, and that her features looked rounder and less muscular than her brother's. But apart from that, the resemblance was uncanny. 'That will do then. I'll live the life you dreamed of, Lawrence, for you, and for me. Just you see, I'll make you proud and let your memory live on until I die.' She sighed again, straightening herself and carried her bag on one shoulder.

Being as silent as possible, she climbed down the stairs, went to the back door of her house and stepped into the night that had fallen without a warning. Walking at a quick pace, for fear of being seen by the servants, she arrived at the end of the property. 'Adieu Charlotte' she said without any remorse, not even glancing back at her former house.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimers: I don't own POTC, nor James Norrington, unfortunately...**

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The night was rather clear, the streets near the docks were busy with local men drinking as usual their pint of beer while talking mostly about things they'd never done, places they'd never been, and laughing way too loudly. A merchant ship had laid anchor at Charleston port in the afternoon, members of the crew came back or went to one of the taverns as they pleased.

'I must board this ship' Lawrence said to herself, watching with resolution the ship anchored. 'Not as a stow-away if I can avoid it, but if that's the last solution, then I'll take my chances.' Approaching the boarding plank, she went to one of the crewmembers who was going down.

'Excuse me sir, I'm looking for the captain of your ship, would you happen to know where I may find him?'

'He's in the tavern so I 'eard, what would ya want 'im for?'

'I was wondering whether he had a place for me on board. If not, I won't trouble him and wait for another ship to come.'

The man eyed her narrowly, then considered her young age and decided that she wasn't a threat.

'All righ', I'll show ya to 'im then, follow me.'

They both stepped into the tavern reeking of vomit and sweat, though the customers didn't seem to mind.

The man lead her to the said captain of the merchant ship, who was laughing loudly at some jokes one of the sailors had said.

'Captain, this young whelp wants to speak with ya. He wants to come with us on th' sea.'

The captain was a red-haired man, with curly facials hairs that barely hid his red round cheeks. He had a huge beer-belly, and his fingers looked like sausages. But apart from that, he looked quite alright.

'So you want to come with us, boy? How old are you?' he said with a loud voice.

'Yes sir, if it's not too much trouble, sir. Name's Lawrence, I'll be sixteen in a month or so.' Better lie about my real age or even Lawrence, I certainly am not about to grow a beard, so sixteen sounds reasonable.

'Ah, that young, and already bitten!' the man laughed. 'I can't blame you for that, 'twas the same for me. Well, I'm not against the idea of you being on my ship if you'd be of help. What can you do young man?'

'Well… I'm a hard worker sir, I can help with whatever it is you want. I can read, and write, know some things about navigation, and… I can defend myself with a sword, sir.'

'Sounds like you're quite providential then, knowing all that at such young age!' He looked at his friend seated with him at the table. 'What do you think, should we take him?'

His friend nodded, too busy drinking his beer to properly answer.

'Then that's a deal young sir' the captain said, standing up to shake her hand in agreement. 'You're welcome to come on board of the _Daisy of the sea_. Marcus!' he said to the man who had brought her here, 'show her the crew's quarters,' Then back to Lawrence 'now, we'll be leaving tomorrow at first tide, so I guess you're quite lucky to have come now, boy. We'll be needing some luck on board.' On that, he sat down and continued his discussion with his friend at the table.

Lawrence followed Marcus to the _Daisy of the sea_. It was the first time she'd ever been on a ship, she was excited and couldn't help her smile. Marcus showed her the empty hammocks below the decks, let her choose where she would sleep, then left. Only two men remained there, the rest of the crew being either drinking or bedding some prostitutes. Lawrence noticed that one of the men missed a leg, and the other was sleeping feverishly. The first one waved at her kindly as a welcome.

She realized she'd be sleeping surrounded by men much older than herself, but so far, no one noticed that she wasn't a boy, so there was no reason she would be discovered know. She picked an unoccupied hammock, put down her bag under it, then fell asleep right away, the emotions of the day having drained her.

After what seemed a short time to her, she startled, wide awake, at the sound of snores. The hammocks were for most of them occupied by their owners, and a good deal of them were snoring very loudly. She sighed and fell asleep again, only to be woken a couple of hours later by Marcus, who was shaking her by her shoulder.

' 'ey, wake-up know, the captain's awaiting th' crew on the deck to leave now'

Lawrence, at first scared by this alien touch, relaxed, and followed him up. Indeed, all the men were preparing the ship to leave, now that the first tide of the morn was here.

Not knowing what to do, she just looked at them, leaning against the main mast, waited, and then the ship was off to sail.

The captain, seeing her, came to say hello and showed her to the quartermaster who would assign her tasks to do.

When she was done with sorting the loose ropes, and helping some men to carry a heavy to another part of the hold, she leaned over the ridge, and watched the land where she was once born becoming but a tiny spot on the horizon.

Her mind was racing, she couldn't believe that only yesterday she was a proper young lady arguing with her father. Now she was Lawrence, a member of the crew of the _Daisy of the sea_, aiming to…, 'Wait, I don't even know where I'm bound to!'

She approached an old man polishing a piece of wood.

'Excuse me sir, where are going precisely? I'm afraid I haven't asked anyone.'

The old man chuckled and gave her a pat on her forearm. 'We're heading to Nassau, boy. The captain's got some loads to deliver, then to Carlos Bay, where we're from.'

'Thank you sir' She wondered how long the journey would take to go there. Then, she felt a burning sensation in the pit of her stomach, a sensation that went up, making her head fuzzy and her legs wobble. Her instincts lead her to the ridge and she threw up into the sea.

'Yep, now everything seems definitely real now' she thought before throwing up again.

Apart from the sea-sickness that was plaguing her, the days on the _Daisy of the sea_ went smoothly. The crew didn't mind her, she fell to sleep each night, aching from the manual jobs she wasn't used to do at all, but she eventually managed as she learned by experience how to work on a ship.

Then one day, a pirate ship attacked them. They fired their canons which left deep holes on the foredeck. Luckily for them, they got caught in a storm at the same time, routing the pirates. But a storm was still a storm, and damage ensued. Some men were washed overboard; the top sail of the main mast broke loose. The men were quite desperate. Lawrence helped as best she could. They quickly changed their course to Cape Canaveral, their situation being more than critic. But the distance to cover was still too long. They wouldn't make it alive if another attack or storm happened.

Two days later, a ship came into sight. They all feared it was another pirate ship, but it happened to be ship belonging to the Royal Navy. A wooden board was drawn between the two ships, and there came on board Navy officers, with their shining uniforms, and powdered wigs.

Lawrence couldn't help but be in awe watching such finesse. The man who seemed to be in charge of the talking presented himself.

'I am Captain Norrington of His Majesty's Royal Navy. May I speak to your captain, if you please?'

The captain of the _Daisy of the sea_ clumsily saluted Captain Norrington and explained all that happened to them.

'Then we will be escorting you until you are safe ashore, rest assured, that no harm will come to you under our watch.'

'Thank you sir, we are very grateful.'

The officer named Norrington nodded and glanced at the remaining crew of the merchant ship. He startled and looked back again at something that had caught his attention. His brow furrowed, thinning even more his tight lips, then he spoke.

'Lieutenant Groves, would you please tell Mr Clark to bring some food to the crew of this ship while our men inspect the load of this ship? I hope you understand Mr, that before helping you any further, we need to inspect the load you carry. We wouldn't be helping illegal trade, you see.'

The men of the _Daisy of the sea_ were brought food while some of Norrington's searched the damaged ship. Lawrence was too absorbed by what was happening around her that she didn't care for eating. As she looked at the magnificence that was the _HMS Dauntless_, a softly deep voice behind her back almost made her fall from the storage box she was seated on.

'If you don't mind me asking, young sir, may I know how you got into the possession of such a fine shirt and pair of boots?'

'I beg your pardon sir?' Lawrence faced Captain Norrington, surprised by such a question. 'Well they… they belong to me, sir. I…' Then she realized why he was asking that. All the midshipmen belonging to the _Dauntless_ wore exactly the same, quite logically, has the belongings she took from her brother were his complete Navy uniform, his spare pair of boots that were also part of the uniform, and a spare shirt of the same fine fabric of the one she had put in the bag.

The sun being high up, she couldn't quite see the expression of the Captain, but she sensed he was starting to become suspicious, and gathered his patience to hear her answer.

'Yes? But how did you get them in the first place?' His eyes bore into hers with a look of contained anger and disgust.

Lawrence took a step back, looking at him quite outraged.

'Are you calling me a thief, sir? Those clothes were given to me by my superior when I first began my training in the Navy at the base of Charleston, sir. The rest of my uniform is in my bag in the crew's quarters, if you want to see it. I boarded this merchant ship because the ship I was assigned to got sunk by pirates not two months ago, leaving no survivors. The _Elysium_. I am sure you remember this tragedy, sir.' Lawrence snarled. Of course all she said were true facts. Her brother would still have been alive and at sea if not for that tragic incident. He wouldn't have had any reason to train their yet untamed horse and fell from it to his death.

Taken aback by the raw emotions he saw in the young woman's eyes, and not understanding them, adding to the outcome of his inquiries, James Norrington was left speechless, which did not happen very often at all. Of course he remembered the fate of the _Elysium_. He almost felt ashamed of his over-suspicion. Clearing his throat, the Captain's features softened.

'My apologies. I confess that I wasn't excepting such a truthful and tragic answer from a member of a merchant ship.'

Lawrence lowered her head in deference. 'It was only right of you to enquire such an anomaly, sir. You have a very astute eye.'

Before he could reply to the compliment, an officer from his ship called for him. He quickly saluted the young woman and went to see his Lieutenant.

The wooden board was soon drawn back, all the men on their respective ship, and both the _HMS Dauntless _and the _Daisy of the sea_ sailed to Cape Canaveral.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimers: I don't own POTC, and neither Captain James Norrington.**

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When they came ashore some days later, they learned that mending the damage would take up to two weeks.

Lawrence didn't want to stay with the _Daisy of the sea_ until they reached their final destination, they were decent enough, but that wasn't quite the life on sea she had imagined. And seeing the magnificence that was the _Dauntless _and its crew, she was determined to board other ships and eventually enrol in the Navy as he brother should have done. She wasn't scared of being lost among the many people that were in Cape Canaveral. She even went to some taverns to find other ships looking for new recruits, but none reached her high standards. She was determined to wait for a good opportunity, and not choose the first ship come.

Having no money, she spent her nights in her hammocks aboard the merchant ship, but by day, she roamed the streets, always carrying her bag around. 'Who knows what may happen today, better be ready.' And so she spent the three first days at Cape Canaveral.

By now, she was accustomed to the streets near the ports, what house, shop, or tavern she would find at the corner.

'Why aren't you with the rest of the crew, midshipman? We're to leave tomorrow morning, you should be helping on board!' a voice came from behind her. She turned to face a man wearing a Navy uniform. She immediately recognized the man as being Lieutenant Groves_, _the officer helping the Captain of the _Dauntless_.

'What should I say? Do I go along with who he thinks I am or do I tell him the "truth"?' She needed to answer him quick, and being true to herself, she said what seemed right to her.

'I'm begging your pardon, sir. But I'm not part of your crew, to tell the truth. I am with the _Daisy of the sea_ that you kindly escorted ashore.'

Lieutenant Groves furrowed his brow then nodded. 'Ah yes, you're the one Captain Norrington was questioning back there. So I take it that you're a young recruit in the Navy but haven't been assigned a ship yet, am I right?'

'That is exactly my position, sir.'

'Then, why haven't you come to us sooner? As part of the Navy, we ought to take you in and see to your well-being. Come, let us find somewhere to talk first.'

Lawrence couldn't believe her luck. She didn't dare approach the _Dauntless_ for fear of being too bold. Though becoming part of this crew was what she looked for the most, she had pushed away that idea for fear of making a fool of herself. And anyway, how would she have approached anyone there and talked about her situation? But now that she had thankfully crossed path with Lieutenant Groves, it was a dream come true.

The sun was still high in the sky, leaving us plenty of time to talk without rushing things. Lieutenant Groves had led her to what seemed the most decent tavern of the area. They both sat at the end of the room, which was pretty empty compared to the other taverns.

As the hours went by, Lawrence told him pretty much everything she dared to tell him about herself, that is to say, everything except for her previous life as Charlotte. To him, she was Lawrence, a young man anxiously waiting to finally belong to one of His Majesty's ship. She learned in exchange some things about the Lieutenant, that his name was Theodore, that he was twenty-seven and had known his Captain since he enrolled at the age of seventeen.

The more he talked to the boy, the more Groves got a good feeling about him. By the end of the afternoon, he already considered him as a kind of distant relative that he would take care of.

Then, they both came back to the harbour. Groves had to officially ask the permission of his Captain to take the boy in, although he already knew what his answer would be. Groves knew James Norrington to be a great man. To him, his Captain was what every man should looked up to: he was brave, excellent at his command of a ship, kind-hearted when needed but fair at any occasion, his education showed reproachless manners and vast knowledge in many fields, and he would certainly be married to one of the finest ladies of the colonies, seeing how accomplished he was. He knew his Captain, who was also one of his closest friends with Lieutenant Gillette, had good hopes in marrying Miss Swann, the Governor of Port Royal's daughter. He didn't personally know much about Miss Elizabeth Swann, but if Captain Norrington had fallen for her charms, then she had to be a lady of many accomplishments and great beauty.

Upon climbing on the boarding plank, Lawrence and Lieutenant Groves encountered the man they were looking for. The said man looked at his friend in surprise before locking his eyes on the youngest of them.

'Ah, it seems our paths were definitely meant to cross then, Mister…'

'Reynolds, sir. Lawrence Reynolds.'

'… Mister Reynolds.'

'I thought he was part of our crew at first, and had started to chide him, until he told me his situation. I thought we would take him with us, a Navy ship or another is the same.' His friend said, confident enough and laying a hand on Lawrence's shoulder as a friendly gesture.

'And you thought right, Lieutenant. Well then, M. Reynolds, welcome on board the _Dauntless_. I hope you will find yourself at home on board of my ship.' Norrington half-smiled quickly. 'Would you please show M. Reynolds the crew's quarters, Lieutenant.'

'Of course sir, follow me M. Reynolds.' Groves started climbing up the plank and stopped to wait for Lawrence.

'I thank you greatly, Captain Norrington. I shall not make you regret your decision, sir.' she said, bowing her head before following the Lieutenant on board.

James Norrington softly chuckled, both astonished and pleased to have found what seemed so far to him to be a greatly honest and polite young man.

After Lieutenant Groves left her with the rest of the crew, Lawrence quickly started to make acquaintance with some of the members of the crew.

'Ah, look there guys, we've got a green among us. Hello my pretty lad, what might be your name?' A man with a greying beard said to her upon her entrance. He was of strong built, his arms has big as tree-trunks. He gave her his hand to shake before throwing her bag on what would be her bunk. 'I'm Tim O'Weill, but most people call me Big Tim. That guy there with the ugly face is Jonny, that one's Dick,' Tim went on and on and on 'here's Ol' Crab, and that one is Simon. I think he's the closest you'll find to your age on board.' He said, showing a young man who was smiling at her. He had dark wavy hair and very bright blue eyes. True he looked the youngest here, though he must have been twenty-three or so.

'Hey there!' the said Simon said. 'Looks like we're going to be neighbours then' he laughed before rising from his bed and coming up to shake up her hand.

Lawrence was a bit taken aback by all those new face, most of them looking rather gruff or not caring a bit about her arrival among them. She was nonetheless very pleased that Tim O'Weill had instantly broken the ice as soon as she's stepped in.

She shook some hands and finally Simon's.

'Nice to meet you all. I'm Lawrence Reynolds.'

'Come Lawrence, I'll show you to the rest of the crew still on the deck and do a quick tour of the ship.' said Simon, who had taken her by the elbow.

After about two hours, she had seen most of the ship and about all the crew members. The night having fallen, she headed down with Simon and talked with him until the early hours of the morn, before soundly falling asleep.

She woke about an hour before everyone and took advantage of the sleep of the men and the night to change her clothes to her proper uniform then went back to her bed waiting for the other to wake.

In the morning, she was assigned her tasks and fulfilled them with duty. Simon was always near her, and she was glad to have so quickly made a friend of him.

On the upper deck, Captain Norrington, Lieutenant Groves, and Lieutenant Gillette were watching the young recruit.

'That's nice young M. Reynolds has made a quick friend. I was anxious he'd be left aside.'

'Yes,' said Norrington, 'it is nice indeed, although I'm not sure about his choice of friend. There is something about M. Harlow that doesn't make me feel at ease.'

'Oh come on now James, don't start with seeing ill things about members of the crew' said Lieutenant Gillette, exasperated. He was always the most cheerful of the three of them. Even when he first trained with James Norrington many years ago, when they were both about the age of young Reynolds, Andrew Gillette always tried to cheer up his friend. With the help of Lieutenant Groves, he would try to make their Captain more relaxed and confident in people other than Theodore and himself.

'Mister Reynolds does look rather young, don't you think?' Gillette continued. 'And such a fair and smooth face. If you'd ask me, with longer hair, more food in his belly, and the appropriate piece of clothing, I'd have thought him a beautiful young lady.'

At those words, Groves roared with laughter. 'Have you been drinking lately, Andrew, or has the sun already played on your mind?' He laughed again then was thoughtful watching Lawrence. 'It is true though, there is something effeminate about him. But I suppose that happens now and then until he starts to grow a beard and become larger.'

James Norrington had shaken his head at the delirium of his friends, even though he gave some credit to their observations.

The Duke of St-Simon had written in his memoirs something about the core personality of people reflecting on their face. If that proved to be true, though scientifically impossible to prove, then Lawrence Reynolds was one of the truest and kindest man he'd have ever met, not matter the age.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimers: I don't own POTC, nor Norrington, Groves, and Gillette.**

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'And then, they told him go open the chest and to his surprise, he found fruits in it!' Lawrence was bent over, holding her stomach with laughter. Lieutenant Groves knew really good stories and jokes. Both of them were standing against the ridge of the ship, laughing merrily during their noon-meal break. The Lieutenant and the young sailor had spent from time to time very enjoyable hours together since Lawrence's arrival.

'Well, if you ask me Lieutenant, I wouldn't have minded if there were oranges in that chest, I do so love oranges! God knows how disappointed I would have been if those were coconuts or pomegranate!'

Groves clapped her shoulders, still laughing. Yes, he really liked this boy, he reminded him in some ways of his younger brother. Maybe that was the reason why he had felt so compelled to take under his protection young Reynolds and have light conversations with him whenever he saw the occasion fit.

'Are you aware of how out of place you both look, Lieutenant Groves, Mister Reynolds?' admonished their Captain with a reproving look. He was climbing down the stairs from the top deck to come up to them.

Red spread over Lawrence's cheeks. Only now that her Captain said so, she realized how improper her behaviour had been. But Groves' conversation was so much more appealing than the one she had with the other lower members of the crew. Though she enjoyed Simon's company, her higher education made the conversation between them on an unequal level. Whereas with the Lieutenants, she felt more confident, more at home. It is true that they were older than her by seven or eight years, but they reminded her of her brother.

She lowered her head.

'My apologies, Captain. It is very improper of me to be so familiar with a higher member of the crew. It won't happen again.'

'Now James, give the boy a break! It isn't as if we'd committed a crime. We were merely laughing during noon-break.'

'There is nothing wrong with laughing…' 'Ah, you're the one to say that!' replied Groves, rolling his eyes, '… but I do believe that Mister Reynolds has work to attend to now, don't you M. Reynolds?' continued Captain Norrington.

'Yes Captain, sir. Good afternoon.' She saluted them both and quickly went to the stock room to help Ol' Crab with minor tasks.

'I understand that Mister Reynolds reminds you of your brother, but it isn't a sufficient reason to prevent him from doing what he is foremost here for, Theodore.'

His Lieutenant sighed and nodded. 'I know, I know, I reckon it. But really James, I do think it is a shame to see him working at such a low position. You should hear all the things he knows, his upbringing was one of the best, I'm sure. I even feel ashamed to say that more than once he has completely lost me in our discussions, his knowledge is vaster than mine, and he is almost half my age!'

'Now, Lieutenant, you cannot truly mean what you're saying. Your rank in the Navy hasn't been given to you by a play of cards. You have earned it by your knowledge and merit.'

'Thank God, I know that! But that's exactly my point. This boy shouldn't be mending barrels in the holds, or whatever it is that he's been asked to do.'

'And what is it that you suggest, Lieutenant?' asked Norrington, with a raised eyebrow. 'A promotion?'

'I think that would indeed be the rightest thing to do in this special case, indeed.'

'I will think on the matter then. Now if you'll excuse me, I believe it is my turn to be at the helm.' On that, he saluted his Lieutenant and climbed up the stairs to the top deck.

Lieutenant Gillette joined his friend Groves soon after.

'So, what was all this about? No trouble I hope…'

'Not at all Andrew, James and I were merely talking about young Mister Reynolds.'

'Ah yes, and so? Did you tell him about the promotion? What did he say?'

'He said he'll think of it. But I am quite confident about the outcome of it.' Lieutenant Groves winked.

Lawrence didn't get the chance to talk either to Lieutenant Groves or Gillette for some days because of her new task she had been assigned: washing the deck boards with Simon and three other mates. This was an exhausting work to do, but she complied with her orders given by Tim O'Weill. She was glad Simon was working next to her, with his more than often one-sided conversation, time went faster.

Today was a particularly hot day, making this task harder than it was, so to give themselves courage, the men sang a couple of songs. Lawrence had always been fond of music, but she had never heard sea shanties before, so she listened eagerly to each song, humming along with them, not yet knowing the words.

Captain Norrington watched his crew thoughtfully. Glancing at the men washing the floor under this harsh sun, he felt sympathy towards them. This task was already unpleasant, and this scorching heat didn't help at all. The he noticed young Reynolds dutifully working among those men.

Norrington felt a pang of regret. The boy never complained about anything, but this task was indeed to tiring for his frailer body. 'I should have told him about his promotion earlier today, he wouldn't have been assigned to that task then' the Captain thought. He'd have to tell him tonight before being given another backbreaking work.

At one point, Lawrence felt a sharp pain in the palm of her hand and dropped her rag to look at what had hurt her. She then realized that a rather nasty looking sharp had stuck in her palm. Simon noticed that his friend had stopped working and looked at what had distracted her. 'Ouch! Go to the doctor Law, it'll fester if you don't!'

'No, it's okay, it can wait, Simon. I wouldn't dare to miss at my post.'

'Tut, go see him, we're almost done anyways'

If the shard hadn't been that large, she'd have stayed with the men, but her hand really hurt, like most tiny cuts did.

She entered the quarters below the main deck and went to see Mister Davis, the doctor on board. To her, Doctor Davis looked more like a sham than a proper doctor, but it wasn't as if she'd have other choice. The doctor examined her hand, and proceeded to take out the piece of wood that was stuck in it. He poorly did his job but eventually plucked out the nasty thing. Lawrence had considerably paled by the end of the procedure. She stifled a cry when M. Davis had poured a drop of alcohol on the cut and had clumsily pressed the small wound while wrapping it in a linen rag.

She almost regretted to have come to the doctor. 'This man has almost butchered my hand for nothing! I fear for the severely wounded in his care…' she mumbled in the corridor when she bumped into a hard body.

Two firm hands steadied her as she swayed backwards. She has knocked into Captain Norrington who was going the other way.

'I'm sorry, I didn't… Mister Reynolds!' Norrington said, eventually seeing who he was talking to. His eyes widened with worry. 'Are you alright? What were you… why do you look so pale? Are you coming from the doctor's?' He assailed her with questions, his worry clearly showing.

To be fair, the young woman didn't look at her best, her hair was untamed by her work outside, her aching limbs made her look like her energy had been drained, and she still looked rather pale, despite the colours the sun had given her.

'It alright Captain, I'm alright, nothing to trouble with. Just a minor injury while I was wiping the decks, sir. If you wouldn't mind, I have to go back to my task.' She wasn't in the mood to be admonished on whatever it was she had done wrong to the Captain's eyes. Since their first encounter on the _Daisy of the sea_, she had come to the conclusion that the Captain didn't really like her. At first he had thought she was a thief, then had reproached her on several occasions of being too familiar with his Lieutenants. All the interactions she had had with him ended up in a negative way for her, so naturally, this time wouldn't be any different from the others.

As the Captain was the one coming in the corridor, and she was the one going out, Norrington's face was obscured by his body blocking the sunlight, that way she couldn't see that his bright green eyes were filled with worry.

'Nonsense! You don't have to go back to your work if your Captain says so. I see plainly that you feel ill. Come, let us go to the top deck, fresh hair will do you good, and I must admit that it is a good timing, I had to speak with you on a matter.'

'Oh no, what have I done this time to disappoint him? I swear, seeing the state I'm in, I'd break down without being able to prevent it' she thought glumly.

She followed him to the top deck where he led her to the back ridge of the ship to keep their conversation more private.

The Captain straightened himself, his hands clasped together behind his back.

'I have noticed on many occasions that my officers Lieutenant Gillette, and more particularly Lieutenant Groves, and yourself have become quite familiar with each other. They both have a high opinion of you by what I gather from what they say, and such familiarity is yet unheard of between officers and simple sailor, especially at such a young age as yours. I understand that you come from a wealthy family and have had a thorough education in most fields of knowledge, am I right?'

'Yes sir, all that you say is indeed true. As for my education, I have had the chance of having several tutors of renown before and while training for the Navy.'

Norrington nodded in approval or to confirm what he already knew.

'It has then occurred to me and my officers that your current position on board of this ship is quite inferior to your social background and knowledge, which is why I promote you for now to the rank of Ensign, therefore welcoming you among the few officers of the _Dauntless_. Congratulation, Ensign Reynolds.' When saying those words, the bright green of his eyes bore into the blue-grey of hers, and for the first time since she was on board, Lawrence realized how handsome her Captain was, especially now that he was smiling, tightly, but it was way more than the quarter of a curt smile he had noticed once. Norrington presented his hand for her to shake, which she did, sending a shiver down her spine though this act was nothing but formal.

She realized her mouth had gone dry, either because of her sudden promotion or her shift of perception of her Captain. She coughed lightly before talking.

'Thank you very much sir, I am deeply honoured by such an attention. I don't know what to say…'

Norrington chuckled, visibly amused by her embarrassment, embarrassment that proved once more to him that this young man was a well-rounded one promising to become a great officer in the future, and not someone full of pride.

'The Lieutenants Groves and Gillette are already aware of your promotion, you can join them freely from now on. I think you should ask one of them to show you your new quarters. Oh and before I forget, you are invited to dinner in my quarters to celebrate your promotion with the other officers.'

'I look forward to it, Captain, sir. Thank you once again' Lawrence said before saluting him and finding either Groves or Gillette, whoever she would find first.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimers: POTC isn't mine, nor the characters belonging to this franchise.**

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'I'm sorry Simon, it saddens me to leave you…'

'Bah, it's ok, don't worry. It's not as if you were really gone, we're still on the same ship, so we'll still see each other' Simon said, shrugging. He wasn't one for sentimental outburst, though he really liked his young friend. 'And anyways, I'll have more things to tell you then, and you're still part of the "crew of below", so I hope you'll come see us often' he said, giving her a quick bear hug. She looked one last time at her former quarters and climbed up the stairs.

'Well, Ensign Reynolds, you are officially one of us. I really hope you won't miss the snores and the smell of your previous place, though if you want, you can always go back there you know… ' said Lieutenant Groves opening what would be Lawrence's own quarters. He winked at her before gently punching her elbow as a friendly gesture.

'These are dire times, and I'm sure I'll get used to a private space and the lack of foul smells' laughed Lawrence who eagerly looked around her room.

The place wasn't very big, she had already reached the end of the room in six strides, but to her, it was a real luxury. Since she'd left her home three months ago, tonight would be the first night she'd spend alone, she would finally have some privacy and be more at ease with her femininity.

Lieutenant Gillette handed her her bag before giving her a box.

'Take it as a welcome gift from both of us' he said, smiling before sitting on the only chair in the room. She opened the box and flushed vividly. 'Oh my, what am I to do now…' she thought. The content of the small box was a sort of sanitary package with a pair of scissors, some cream, and … a razor.

'I know, you won't use it for some time, being young and all that, but I thought we should be the one to offer it to you. As your protectors and friends.'

Lawrence smiled brightly at the two Lieutenants. 'Thank you, thank you both, I am very touched by your kind gesture. But, have I heard right: protectors? Friends?'

This time, Groves and Gillette laughed at the same time.

'But of course, you silly! Do you really think we are that friendly with many people?' Groves laughed again. 'And besides, we would have left you to your status of mere sailor mending to things here and there if we did not care about you. You're like the little brother neither Andrew nor I could bring on board with us!'

'Well, in my case, I don't have a brother, but that doesn't change the end result at all' smiled the said Andrew.

A warm sensation spread in her chest. Never had she expected to be so welcomed by such dignified men that not two months ago she had no idea existed at all. The open-sea does create strong bond then, she mused.

'I am so grateful to have you both then, thank you, thank you so much for being so kind to me.'

'But of course' said Groves 'and know, we'll leave you to settle a bit and make yourself clean for tonight. The Captain's expecting us at 0730, so be there and be square!'

'I wouldn't miss it for the world, Lieutenant Groves.'

'Oh come on now, after our emotive moment, I think we can address to one another on a first name basis when we're in private, you've earned that right with the promotion, Lawrence' he winked.

'Alright right then… Theodore'

'See you in an hour then!' said Gillette before leaving the room with Lieutenant Groves and shutting the door.

Once the door was shut, Lawrence jumped into her bed, her _own_ bed, and held the pillow against her chest. She was just so happy, everything was perfect. Tonight, she would eat with her newfound friends, Theodore and Andrew, and… Her stomach tightened. 'And I'll also be eating with the Captain… Oh, I'm sure I'll make a fool of myself in front of him, or that he'll reproach me something and leave me to my previous position. What if he finally finds out the truth about me?' her stomach tightened even more. 'No, there's no reason why he would find out. I've spent three months at sea with exclusively a men company, and nobody noticed. Theodore and Andrew even gave me a razor! Though they reckoned that I wouldn't use it yet, more like never, but still, that is proof that none of them as any suspicion about me. So everything will be alright.'

Now calmer, she proceeded to clean herself as best she could with a large bucket of lukewarm water. Feeling cleaner, she put on her best clothes and wrapped her hand-wound with a new rag. She looked at herself in the small square mirror that was laid on the table and noticed for the first time how changed she was. She already knew her complexion had changed; her ribs were sticking out more now that she had lost some weight, but she had also put on some muscles, especially in her arms and her back. What surprised her were her face and her hair. Her cheekbones were more prominent, her eyes bigger, and her skin-tone had definitely took on a darker shade. Her blond hair, which she had recut not long ago, had turned a lighter shade here and there because of the sun and the salt-air, but all in all, those changes in her appearance gave her a wilder look that suited her rather well. She knew beauty didn't matter anymore, now that she was supposed to be a boy, but deep down she was still a young woman, and she care about how she looked, as long as everyone still believed she was a man.

The said hour came quicker than she had hoped. She tied her hair with a fine ribbon, readjusted her waistcoat and jacket, and left to the Captain's quarters, her stomach tightening once again, both in anticipation and anxiousness.

The Captain's cabin was situated on the upper floor, just under the top deck where the helm was. She put her ear against the door to be sure other officers were already there. She wasn't ready to be alone the Captain for some time, or else she didn't know where her thoughts would lead her this time.

She was relieved to recognize Gillette's laughter, and so she gathered her strength, took a deep breath, and knocked.

Groves is the one who greeted her. He already had a glass of brandy in his hand, and so were Gillette and an older man she didn't know.

'Ah, and here comes our new Ensign, right on time' quickly smiled Captain Norrington, who was pouring himself a glass of the same beverage as everyone else, it would seem. 'Please, do come in, M. Reynolds.'

Lawrence looked around with awe. The Captain's quarters were huge and decorated with fine taste; on one of the walls spread a beautiful map of the discovered territories; his furniture were of mahogany wood, and his collection of books looked very promising, as she noticed at first glance. The other reason of her surprise was to see the officers, and the Captain, in shirt-sleeves, their jacket on the back of their chair, the sleeves of their shirt rolled up.

She tried very hard to control her thoughts, and admonished herself for thinking of how intimate it was to see them all more relaxed.

'Alright, I think we should sit, M. Davis will eventually come, if he comes at all' said Norrington. The assembly took place around the table, the Captain at the head, Gillette at his right, the man Lawrence didn't know at his left, Groves sat next to his friend Andrew, and Lawrence took a seat between Groves and the empty chair that would or not be occupied by the doctor.

The said doctor eventually did come, apologizing as clumsily as his methods were. Only then did Captain Norrington rise up, raising his glass and inviting the other men to do so, while Lawrence remained seated.

'Now that everybody is here, I want to congratulate and welcome among us our new Ensign, M. Reynolds' said he, looking straight at her, smiling briefly then drinking to her health with the others before they sat.

The young woman blushed at the attention addressed towards her and smiled faintly.

The meal began joyfully, and the discussion started. Lawrence was listening to a story Lieutenant Groves was telling her, while the Captain, Lieutenant Gillette, and she now knew as Lieutenant Commander Flanders.

'I say, Lawrence, can you pass me the plate?' said Groves pointing to a heavy plate filled with potatoes. Lawrence was about to take it to hand him over when she heard Norrington say in a serious:

'Now Theodore, we wouldn't want young Reynolds to hurt his hand more than it has been, would we?'

'What? Hurt?' Both Gillette and Groves turned worried eyes towards her.

'It's nothing really' she said showing them quickly her wrapped palm 'I had already forgotten about it. The Captain is too kind to worry, but it really is nothing' then she handed over the plate.

She was happily surprised by the care her Captain had showed her, especially when even she had forgotten about it because it was indeed nothing at all.

After a while, and a couple of plates finished along with lots of glasses drunk, Doctor Davis fell asleep in his empty plate, to the hilarity of the assembly, except for Norrington who just rolled his eyes in pity for the poor man that was this Doctor Davis. The conversation resumed; Captain Norrington was talking about one of his first takes of a pirate ship, arguing the details with his Lieutenant Commander.

Lawrence was fascinated; she could have listened to him hours on end, lulled by the harmonious inflections of his voice.

She shook her head. 'Whow, slow down there, what was that kind of thoughts? Since when have I become so interested in the other sex? That does not do at all, young lady, now gather yourself and keep a straight face.' She somehow focused on something else and was lost in her thoughts when the very voice she was thinking talked about her, alerting her attention.

'I think our young Ensign is slowly falling asleep, don't you think Andrew?' he chuckled.

'Yes, yes indeed, or perhaps he is already regretting his decisions of being part of our restricted group because our conversation bores him to death?' Gillette said, winking at her.

'God no!' she exclaimed 'I mean, no, I certainly am not bored by your conversation, on the contrary, though I reckon that I am indeed exhausted by this day, the change from being a mere sailor to an officer takes its toll on a young man as myself.' She rose from her seat. 'Captain, sirs, I bid you a good night'

'Enjoy your private quarters Lawrence!' said Groves waving at her.

She saluted them and left the Captain's quarters.

'What a night!' she thought, undressing in her room, 'I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring'. This night, she slept as soundly as a log, her arms and back still aching from her work on the decks, and her thoughts revolving around the events of the day, especially about how wrong she had been about Captain Norrington.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimers: I do not own POTC, nor Captain/Commodore/Admiral James Norrington and his fellow officers.**

**I want to thank everyone who has read my story so far, for the views, follows, fav, and review. Thank you for bearing with my first drafts, hence my broken English at some points (I promise, one day I'll reread my chapters and correct stuff but not any soon, nope, procrastination is a second-nature...)**

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The following morning, Lawrence felt rather awkward on the top deck with Lieutenant Gillette and Captain Norrington. She definitely had to get used to this new change in her life, and watching her former fellow-sailors made her feel guiltier than she dared to voice out to Gillette.

'I know it's such a great privilege to be an officer with you but… I don't know, Andrew, I feel rather out of place when I'm not helping them' she whispered to her friend so that her Captain couldn't hear her words and, God forbid, find her ungrateful.

Of course, Captain Norrington had heard everything despite the good measures his youngest officer had taken, but he did not say a word about her comment, he even took pride in her honesty and good intentions, and smiled to himself. Hard work and the wish of helping others were among the values he had always strived to live by, so in a way, Lawrence's genuine discomfort made her look all the more valuable. Norrington refused to let her take back her former works, so he managed to find her something else far more suiting to a highly educated young man.

'I heard you have some knowledge in the science of healing, Ensign Reynolds…'

'Yes Captain, I do, although I only know the basics really, nothing to take pride in.'

'Let me disagree with you on that, Ensign, I believe you are too modest, which in itself isn't a flaw do not mistake my words.' In a few paces, he was in front of her and Lieutenant Gillette. 'May I see your hand please?'

'I beg your pardon, sir?' My hand? What on earth does he wish to see? A black spot or something? I wouldn't mind giving it to you Captain, only if you propose on your knee and… wait what? Stop it Lawrence, you're not supposed to think that way.

After an awkward pause, mostly due to her wandering mind, she presented her bandaged hand.

'Ah, just what I was thinking!' Norrington exclaimed after withdrawing the rag covering the cut on her palm. 'After witnessing the great healing prowess of doctor Davis, you decided to take care of it yourself, by using what looks like a sort of paste. What is it exactly?'

Lawrence was struck, her Captain's observation skills were starting to worry her, when would he finally find out her true identity at this rhythm? Really she was surprised he hadn't already, with an eye as sharp as his.

'I merely used some seaweeds, Captain. The cut was starting to fester when I awoke, so I managed to treat it myself before reporting to duty this morning.'

'Did you really, Lawrence? Seaweeds? Are you some sort of warlock or apprentice druid?' Gillette joked, though he was clearly amazed by his friend.

The Captain nodded in approval, as baffled as his lieutenant.

'Your initiative and resourcefulness will serve you well in life, Ensign Reynolds. Now that my inklings are confirmed, I know the perfect task for you at the moment. How about you go and see what you can do to better our medicine quarters? Do as you please, I'm sure doctor Davis wouldn't mind at all so do not worry about it, and if you could prepare some of your seaweeds healing balm, that would be perfect, who knows when we might need it…'

'Thank you sir, I am going straightaway, I will do all I can to rearrange the medicine quarters.' She saluted them and climbed down the stairs of the deck, rewrapping her wound that as healing nicely.

And so she spent the following days, sorting out doctor Davis pile of papers, classifying the diverse medicinal plants, apparently unused as the doctor only trusted alcohol and fire to heal a wound, and concocting seaweeds balm.

She spent every other evening, when it wasn't the mandatory officer's supper at the Captain's quarters, in the company of the Lieutenants Gillette and Groves, and sometimes Captain Norrington.

One of those latter nights, Lawrence discussed for the first time with her Captain on a subject that seemed to animate them both, warfare treaties. At first, she was a mere listener as the conversation was between Norrington and Groves, but then her friend admitted lacking of background knowledge on the French Navy.

'But I know someone who may know more than me on the subject…' Groves said, looking slyly at his young friend. He had noticed for some time now that Lawrence never dared to be forward with Norrington, and let the conversation unfold before her rather than participating in it.

'Theodore, you must be mistaken, I don't really…'

'Nonsense! You told me the other day exactly the same thing James did, so go on' he sat back in his chair, clearly enjoying watching her turning red.

'Perhaps Mr Reynolds believes that my personal knowledge on such matter as warfare isn't as complete as his' chuckled Norrington, clearly enjoying the embarrassment of his youngest officer.

'I would never…' began Lawrence before seeing the laughing lines at the corner of her Captain's eyes 'Well yes, Captain Norrington, I do believe that in barely sixteen years on this earth and less than half a year at sea, I know far more about warfare than you' At those words, the four of them laughed merrily, breaking the ice and Lawrence aloofness.

Lawrence and Captain Norrington were soon the only one to be heard talking, both clearly impressed by the other's knowledge and personal vision on such and such matter. After what seemed hours for Gillette and Groves, who were pleased to see their friends at last involved in a conversation up to their intelligence, and what seemed minutes to James and Lawrence, Lieutenant Groves decided to retire for the night.

Although she wished she could spend more hours in such fine company, Lawrence thought that it was best to also head for her bed.

The next day, she was surprised to see her friend Simon waving at her. She hadn't spent as much time as before with the lower part of the crew, but she always managed to find some time to see them, if only for a couple of minutes. She was really glad that they hadn't turned their back on her after her promotion.

'So, today's St-Paddy's day and the mates and I thought I'd be too bad if you missed our celebration tonight. 'Cause you know, many of the crew are Irish and once in a while, it's good to have some music and dancing on board' Simon said, very enthusiastic about this evening's prospects.

'I'd love to be celebrating it with you, I look forward to it, Simon!'

'Great, you can come around 0800 of the evening then, we'll all be near the foremast'

'But, do the officers know about this?'

'Of course they do, as long as it stays reasonable and that no man does anything stupid, and besides, you'll laugh way more with us than with the wig-men' he winked

'Simon!' Lawrence laughed 'Alright then, count me in.'

Simon clapped his friend on the back and smiled brightly.

'That's my man! Okay, see you tonight then' he said before helping the others with a heavy chest to move to the other side of the deck.

Lawrence was obviously very excited about tonight's plan, she didn't really know what a St-Patrick's celebration at sea would do, but she was sure to have a nice time. She worked for the rest of the afternoon in the medicine quarters and then decided that it was best to tell at least one of her officer-friends that she would be spending the evening with the crew.

When she told him, Groves looked rather sad but encouraged her nonetheless, after all, she also had friends in the crew, and at such a young age, it would be a pity for her not to enjoy the occasion.

At 0800, she changed her clothes for more casual ones, and joined the rest of the crew in the forepart of the ship.

Already, the entrancing music of a violin was sounding and starting to bewitch her. The men were all merry with drinking rum instead of beer because there were none on board.

Lawrence sat on the deck next to Simon, listening Tim's story of his days back in County Clare.

'Here, take some Law' said her friend passing along a bottle of rum.

'I… don't feel like drinking rum…'

'I hope for you it's a joke! I'm not asking you to drink the whole bottle Law, not yet…' he laughed.

She had never drunk rum before so she didn't know what to expect, seeing how the other men drank it as though it were water, so she took a long gulp of it. As the liquid came down her throat, it burned its way down to her stomach, making her rush to the ridge and spit most of it overboard under the laughter of most of the men around her.

'Ugh, that was so disgustingly foul! How can you all drink that that easily?' she tried to find some clear water to wash down the sour taste and extinguish the burning sensation, but as she finally spotted a bucket of clean water, Simon took her arm and pulled her along with him to the group of dancers. The melody played by the violin had sped up to an animated jig, and men had gathered in a circle to dance at the speed of the notes. And so Lawrence found herself dancing among them, jumping and laughing with them. The arias changed but the rather simple steps of the dance never really varied, and Lawrence danced and danced and danced, accepting eventually from time to time a gulp of rum as the water was clearly to remain far away from the thirsty dancers.

After a couple more arias, the dancers finally got to rest for a bit and listen to the men willing to sing. What was at first done by a voluntary action quickly turned into a friendly competition involving all of them. Songs succeeded songs, until came Lawrence's turn.

For sure, she loved singing, but she had never sung to anyone else but herself. Luckily, the rum starting to get to her head, and after her companions' encouragements, she felt bolder, stood and started singing.

_"__Of all the money that e'er I had__  
I've spent it in good company  
And all the harm that e'er I've done  
Alas it was to none but me  
And all I've done for want of wit  
To memory now I can't recall  
So fill to me the parting glass  
Good night and joy be with you all_

Of all the comrades that e'er I had  
They are sorry for my going away  
And all the sweethearts that e'er I had  
They would wish me one more day to stay  
But since it falls unto my lot  
That I should rise and you should not  
I'll gently rise and I'll softly call  
Good night and joy be with you all

A man may drink and not be drunk  
A man may fight and not be slain  
A man may court a pretty girl  
And perhaps be welcomed back again  
But since it has so ought to be  
By a time to rise and a time to fall  
Come fill to me the parting glass  
Good night and joy be with you all  
Good night and joy be with you all"

All the men cheered, visibly impressed by her clear young voice and her rendition of the song, leaving a blushing Lawrence to sat down.

'You almost sound like a lass, Law, d'you know that?' said one of the men.

'Maybe, but at least he sings better than you, Mo!' replied Simon defending his young friend. 'Well done, mate!' he said to Lawrence before pulling her into a bear hug.

Little did the jovial gathering know that they were being watched by the Captain of the ship and his Lieutenants for some time now. They had went out to the top deck to check for a while if everything was alright and, although none of the three admitted it out loud, to make sure no harm was done to their younger friend. When Lawrence finished her song, Gillette and Groves praised her voice, and agreed on asking her to sing for them one evening or another.

As for James Norrington, he was deep in thought, thinking how fair her voice was, how the dancing and most probably the rum too had light up her face, making the twinkle of her blue-grey eyes and her smile brighter, leading to the conclusion of how out of place his young Ensign seemed among a crew of seasoned sailors. He shook his head, almost ashamed by the way his thoughts had strayed, thinking of one of a young man in such a way, let alone one of his subordinate officers was an outrage. He didn't mind the fancy of some men to prefer the private company of other men as long as they did not bother him, but James Norrington wasn't one of those, and Lawrence Reynolds wouldn't be the reason of the questioning of his own sexuality. He had always had a keen eye on the gentler sex, especially when the ladies were of a harmonious complexion, so there was no questioning it further, and anyway, to him, there only was one fine lady worth marrying, Miss Elizabeth Swann, and he would ask Governor Swann's permission as soon as the _Dauntless_ made a safe trip back to Port Royal.

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**Notes: As you all know, this song is called _The Parting Glass. _I know so many other songs that would have been great, Irish folk, English Trad folk, sea shanties, especially 'Spanish Ladies' and 'Matty Groves' (Naomi Bedford version) but then laziness got the best of me, and I'm sure everyone knows this one too. Plus, I really wanted some kind of historical accuracy, as it dates as back as 1605 apparently, so no anachronism at all. And yes it's a Scottish Trad song, but it was so wide spread that no one really care where it was from.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimers: I don't own POTC nor Norrington, Gillette, and Groves.**

**Thank you so much for the reviews, follow and favs!**

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The morning after, a good part of the crew woke with a more or less strong hangover depending on their quantity of rum they had drunk the previous night, but all did they work nonetheless, with mild complaints from some of them. Lawrence, not because her consumption of alcohol had been too high but because she was unaccustomed to it, was among the unfortunate ones who only wished for one thing, drink plenty of water and sleep.

She dragged herself out of bed, cleaned herself as best she could, put on her officer clothes, and headed to the back of the top deck to get some fresh air. Of course, her friends were already awaiting her there.

'Soooo Lawrence, how's the head?' started Groves, laughing.

Lawrence grunted as an answer and leaned on the taffrail, closing her eyes.

'You know, that was quite a show you put on yesterday, very entertaining' said Gillette, nudging her. 'We didn't know you were such a dancer.'

'And a singer!' added Groves. 'James was deeply impressed, really, he didn't say a word after that.'

At those words, Lawrence opened her eyes so quickly that her head started to pound again. 'What did you say, Theodore? You were… and the Captain was… Oh Lord, I'm in trouble, aren't I?' Her face had considerably paled, and she started chewing her lip with worry.

'Trouble? You're in no trouble at all! Where do you find such an idea? I don't understand why you are so scared of him, he won't throw you off the ship anytime soon you know.' Gillette laughed.

Then they heard the footsteps of Captain Norrington approaching, making Lawrence catch her breath.

'I've got to go…' she hurriedly said, almost running to the main deck. 'Captain' she quickly saluted when she passed him.

Puzzled, the said Captain went to his friends to enquire the reason of her leaving in such a hurry.

'Ah, it's nothing, the lad's just feeling unwell after yesterday's evening, that's all' answered Groves.

'For a moment, I thought my presence had made him run away…'

'Well, there's a bit of that too' laughed Gillette.

Norrington raised an eyebrow but did not ask for an explanation, although his Lieutenants had started to make untrue theories as to why Lawrence left so quickly at her Captain's arrival.

'I do believe you both have work to attend to, Lieutenant Gillette, Lieutenant Groves' said Norrington, ending here his friends' discussion.

'Yes, hum, sorry Captain' Groves said before leaving soon followed by Gillette.

This night, Lawrence didn't show up at the officers' quarters, too scared to face Captain Norrington after what her friends had told her. She shook her head. Really, it wasn't like her to fear anything, let alone a man, after all she had done so far, but this man was Captain Norrington, and deep down, she knew something wasn't right. The more she was in his presence, the more she realized how much of a girl she was still. True, if she had been Charlotte Reynolds of Charleston still, she would have fancied such a man, not only because he was undeniably handsome, with his straight nose, his bright green eyes, his thin lips, but also and mostly because of his character itself, the authority and yet understanding he showed, his incredibly vast knowledge, his dignified manners… In fact, everything made him look perfect to her. But she was Lawrence, and so she had to forget her foolish ideas, and anyway, even if she had been a proper lady, she had heard he was always about to propose someone, someone that would suit him much better.

While she was daydreaming of a life she would have had had she stayed home, in the officers' quarters, Lawrence happened to be one of the subjects of discussion between Gillette and Groves, who took the opportunity of James' late arrival to talk about him as well.

'But it's clear in Lawrence's eyes that he really admires James…'

'I know that, and yet he dares not speak to him directly, which is a pity, because although we don't follow all that they say, the both of them make a really entertaining company to listen to.'

'I agree. And as for James...'

'Ah, you noticed that too then? I can't really put a word on it, but he seems really fond of our young friend.'

'And yet, he is still very formal around him. I've never heard him say his name.'

'Ah, it's just James being too proper that's all.'

'Maybe out of respect too, don't you think?'

Groves stopped to think about it. There clearly was respect but also that something he couldn't find word for.

As he was searching for that word, or feeling, Norrington entered.

'Well, gentlemen, I find you very silent tonight… Isn't Mr Reynolds with you?'

Groves and Gillette glanced at each other then back at their Captain. Groves answered by the negative and then they changed the subject, talking about the halt they'll be making soon to fill up their barrels of clean water.

The day later, a foggy weather unsettled the whole crew of the _Dauntless_. Nothing could be seen by the watchman, and so it happened.

The roar of a canon reverberated in the deadly silence. At the Captain's orders, all men prepared for the upcoming fight, some loading the canons, others testing their swords.

Lawrence's mind was buzzing. 'What if I they come on board and kill everyone? What if I get caught? What if I can't find the strength to kill a man?' Her thoughts were then quickly put to an end when the harsh laughter of unknown voices sounded, closer than what she had wished.

She went next to her friend, her sword in hand. 'What now, Andrew?'

He patted her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. 'Now we wait, and before you know it, it will soon be over.'

'By over you mean… us dead?' Dying now wasn't in her plans at all.

'Of course not, you silly, _them_ dead. Do you seriously think our Captain doesn't know what he's doing?'

She looked at Norrington who was standing tall and proud, his face as still as a stone statue. Watching him, she heaved a sigh at such a vision of grandeur, making her friend smile beside her.

And then the first pirates jumped on board. Lawrence had always imagined battles to be more organized, that she could get an overview and prepare for the upcoming action, but reality wasn't like that at all. Reality was noisy, messy, sweaty, and bloody.

As her Captain shouted orders, the boat became quickly overrun by the crew of the other ship, and each men of the _Dauntless_ found himself fighting with someone else.

Lawrence thanked her dead brother for their private fencing sessions, as she would never have been able to face one man, let alone a pirate almost twice her size. Her height and feminine agility became one of her main strength during one-to-one combat. All she wanted was to push the assailant over the board, that way she wouldn't have to kill him, but reality doesn't give you the chance to make such kind plans, and so she put down a man for the first time in her life, but not the last.

From where she was, she saw Simon and Tim fighting too many men for only the two of men, and so she headed in their direction to help them. What usually looked like a spitting distance from one point of the ship to another seemed like miles during a fight when every second counted. On her way, she helped Lieutenant Groves drag a wounded crewmember of the _Dauntless_ under cover, and then rushed to her first aim, but with all the commotion, she couldn't find them and caught some scratches from the surrounding sword fights. She had just killed her second man when a strong arm pulled her back. As she struggled, she realized the arm that had entrapped her was wearing a Navy uniform. She was turning to face the man in question when too many things for her brain to proceed happened at the same time.

'JAMES, MOVE!' she shouted, but her words were too late, a blade had already pierced her Captain left side of the chest. As he crumbled to the ground, blood pouring red over his white shirt, she plunged on the coward who had dared to attack her Captain to the back. Norrington's hand caught Lawrence's leg in an attempt to stop her, but she shook it off and engaged herself in a vicious fight with the pirate. The ebony-skinned man laughed at her missed attempts, clearly enjoying the sight of a sparrow fighting against a raven. And then he laughed no more for she had taken him unaware with the dagger she hadn't used yet. She merely wounded him in the face, but the man's wrathful cry was enough to make her, and the men around, shiver.

At the sound of such a scream, Norrington, who wasn't unconscious yet, tried to rise from the ground. 'Lawrence, NO!'

Gillette, from his place, heard the combination of those two screams and looked up to see in one sight his Captain's livid face and bleeding profusely, and Lawrence sword-fight with one of the scariest pirates he had ever seen. Unfortunately, he was too far away to attempt to help either of them and turned away with dread his eyes filled with fear and concern to fight off his own assailants.

'You think you can kill _me_, pretty girl? You really think a _girl_ can kill me when no man has? Aren't you scared of dying?' the pirate sneered, slashing through the air.

Lawrence knew he was trying to destabilize her, and so she ignored his comment, focusing on any opening to his weak points.

She knew she would die any moment now, this man was way too strong for someone like her.

'I've made my peace with Death a long time ago, the only thing that keeps me fighting is avenging my Captain!' Her arms ached badly, it seemed her knees would give way anytime, but adrenaline gave her the strength she needed to carry on.

A voice she didn't recognize called back on board the remaining pirates. Victory was on her side, but her fight wasn't over yet. Still the man slashed and slashed, trying to mortally wound her, a blow to her thigh weakened her balance and she fell on her back. The pirate smiled a devilish grin and lowered himself to watch life fade from her eyes as he would kill her. This opportunity seemed Heaven-sent and so she stabbed the man to the heart, ending at last their dreadful fight. The man fell right on her, but the weight being too heavy and her level of exhaustion having reached its paroxysm, she fainted, hearing her name uttered by the voice she longed to hear the most.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimers: I don't own Potc and the characters belonging to this franchise.**

* * *

The remaining pirates left in a hurry without looking back for fear of being all killed. Now came the painful task assigned to the crew of the _Dauntless_, closing the eyes of the dead and looking after the mortally wounded. An unconscious Captain Norrington was being transported to the medicine quarters when Lieutenant Gillette smeared with blood rushed to his younger friend, already fearing the worst.

With the help of some crewmembers, he pushed aside the dead body of the colossal ebony pirate and put his blade above her mouth. He sighed with relief when the blade became fogged by her breath. He took a look at her to see which wound was to be tended to first. When he took off her coat, he noticed something odd; a tight bandage around her chest was visible beneath her bloodied shirt.

Lieutenant Groves, holding a rag to his left arm, was soon beside him. The two men looked at each other, puzzled; their friend had never complained about a previous wound in her chest, why hiding such a thing? Pulling up Lawrence's shirt, Gillette suddenly realized the reason and, white as a sheet, quickly tugged down the shirt.

'What? What is it? Andrew, why are you so…'

'Did you know?' he hissed.

'Know, know what? You don't make any sense.'

'So you didn't know either that he… well she…'

'He… she…' Lieutenant Groves was clearly lost but then it dawned on him. 'Oh Lord, no. This can't be real…' He looked down and noticed the swelling of a female breast beneath the reddened scarf that had gotten looser during the fighting. Looking around, he made sure nobody else had noticed, but the men were too busy to even glance at them.

'And what are we supposed to do know?' he continued.

Gillette sighed. 'I don't know… At least, Lawrence, if that's his- her real name, isn't mortally wounded. The rest is but a detail. For now.'

Then, the two carried her to a cleaner place and helped the others, waiting for her to regain her senses, which she did a dozen of minutes later.

When she woke up, she noticed that her binding scarf had indeed loosened up, so tightened it as best she could without anyone noticing it, and helped the others looking after the wounded, to worried about the life of her fellowmen to rest for a bit herself.

She helped a of the men stop his bleeding shoulder with his own coat, leaded another to the medicine quarters, and so on, until she saw the line of the dead ones, aligned on the main deck.

She feared the worst, and a quarter of it proved to be true. When she approached, she saw the lifeless smiling face of her friend Simon, and beside him, Tim. As she stared at them, her eyes began to be filled with tears. She should have tried her best to join them, she should have helped them, even though, when thinking about it, their fight was desperate as the pirates that had surrounded them were far too many for only two men. She saluted their dead bodies and stepped back. The _Dauntless_ had lost quite a few men, not as many as the pirate ship, but still way too many.

She slightly relaxed when the hand of her friend Theodore placed itself on her shoulder. 'Lawrence, I think you should help in the medicine quarters, but please, as soon as you're done, can you find me and Andrew? We'll need to talk about something…'

Lawrence filled with tears once more, her face suddenly pale. 'What is it Theodore?' She shook her head, tears now flowing over her face. 'Please, if he is… if he is dead, I need to know _now_. I've already lost two friends, I can take it…'

Groves was startled by her reaction, and then he realized what she meant and smiled kindly.

'No, no don't worry, James isn't dead, he is being looked after in the medicine quarters. And I think you should…'

'Thank God! Thank you Theodore' she quickly hugged her friend, her relief overwhelming her. 'You'll have to come to the quarters too by the way, for your shoulders and the minor cuts' she said before running to the medicine quarters.

She didn't know what to expect, but once inside, the sight of the many injured struck her; she wanted to turn around and forget about the blood, the moans, and worry visibly seen on the faces of the crewmembers. But she didn't flinch, she steeled herself and put on the professional face that the doctors carry in such situations.

She ran here and there, with scissors, fresh bandages, herbs, and more importantly, her seaweeds balm. The doctor was among the injured, so that was a mild worry off her back for the moment; she would heal those men _alone_, and that gave them at least eighty percent more chance to live.

Some men were unconscious, which made the task of tending to their wounds easier, but others, most of them, were still awake and screaming in pain, and that's when the doctor's alcohol became handy.

James Norrington was among the first ones she treated, not out of personal care, but because he was one of the worst casualties. The blade had fortunately missed the heart, but the wound was pretty bad nonetheless. Lawrence felt her stomach tighten at the sight of her Captain lying thus unawake; she took a deep breath and pulled up his stained shirt. As she feared, she wound didn't look good, at all. With a clean wet rag, she cleaned the wound, trying her best to forget that the man she was administrating her care was James Norrington. A couple of hours ago, the mere thought of touching his bare chest would have sent shivers down her whole body, but now wasn't the time for such inconsiderate ideas, now the life she held the dearest was threatened, and she would accept no other alternative than saving him. And so, with the focus of an expert and the expertise of someone who had years of embroidery behind her, she sewed him back, then put some of the balm she had made a couple of days ago. She places a wet rag on his forehead and tended to his minor injuries. Once she considered she could not do anything else for him at the moment, she concluded that he could, no, he _would_ survive if he woke from his coma, and then he would need to be cared for for quite some time, but that wasn't the least of her worry.

Time wasn't on her side, and though she had barely spent a dozen of minutes on her Captain, this meant twelve crucial minutes to others. She spent the next two hours running from patient to patient, the crew members in the best state, counting among them Groves and Gillette, helping her by doing basic treatments under her orders. With the help of one sturdy man whose name she couldn't remember, she sewed a man's leg, but his life slipped through her fingers in spite of her quick intervention. Another man died in her hands, he was one of the pirates but that didn't stop her from treating him as any other, he was first and foremost a man, no matter whose ship he belonged to.

'And now, you sit Lawrence!' said Gillette forcing her down a chair.

'But I can't, I've got so many things to do, look at those men…'

'You have done all you can for them, now you should rest a bit while Theodore and myself look after you.'

His tone of voice told her that he wouldn't accept no for an answer, so she sat further in her chair and stared blankly at the floor waiting for any opportunity to help the men on the deck.

At one point, Groves went to the cabinets asking Gillette to help him with something.

'We have to talk to Lawrence about… about what we know.'

'Can't this wait at least until tomorrow? He-she's clearly exhausted, we wouldn't want him to break at our feet. He's our friend!'

'Yes, alright alright, tomorrow then.' They both went to where their Captain was.

'I wonder if James knew… That would explain a lot of things actually. Such as why they were clearly next to each when he got stabbed and that I heard him scream his- her name…'

Groves shook his head in puzzlement.

'I don't think I can answer either of your questions, Andrew… Do you think he'll survive?' he said, his voice cracking on the last word.

'Of course he will!' Gillette replied, though his voice sounded flat because he wasn't sure about that either. 'James would never leave us because of a stupid wound inflicted by a pirate.' He patted his Captain's pale hand before turning his back to see how Lawrence was, but he wasn't surprised when he saw her chair empty.

Lawrence was helping some men cleaning up the mess the attack had made. In itself, the ship hadn't suffered one bit, except from a torn sail and some ropes cut and blood on the decks. The attack had taken its toll on the men, assailants and members of the _Dauntless_.

The Captain of the ship being incapacitated, the decisions were to be made by his higher subordinate officers, however, Lieutenant Commander Flanders was among the people killed during the attack, leaving the commands to the Lieutenants Gillette and Groves.

She was relieved to see they were not scolding her for not resting any longer, but when they asked for the bodies to be dropped to the sea as soon as possible after the funeral ceremony, for fear of spreading any disease to the survivors, and she volunteered to help prepare the fallen men to their last journey, they gave her the express order of staying with the wounded in the medicine quarters. She tried to argue but being her superiors, she complied.

An hour or two later, Groves went to the medicine quarters and asked her, with a solemn voice, to join Andrew on the main deck while he helped the injured men to assist at the funeral service that would be held in a moment.

The men had waited for her to say her final goodbyes to Simon and Tim before sewing up the sheet they were laid into.

A lump in her throat and tears running down her face, she looked at those faces she would see for the last time, and remembered the wonderful moments she had spent with them. They had been the first friends she had had on board, and Simon had been of such great help. She would miss his smiles, his bear hugs, and his made-up stories.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimers: POTC isn't mine, nor James Norrington, and so on...**

**Thanks a lot to all my readers, I really appreciate your views.**

* * *

After the funerals, the less injured men were carried to their own bed, and so was Captain Norrington carried to his quarters too, leaving only two men in the medicine quarters.

Knowing she couldn't be at three different places at the same time, she gave a pot of seaweeds balm to one of the crewmembers so he might pass it around in their quarters, and told doctor Davis what to do with the two remaining men if any problem happened. As for her, she obviously went straightaway to the Captain's quarters to look after him but Lieutenant Groves gave her the express order to rest for the evening and come back in the morning.

'You need to sleep Lawrence, today has been a harsh day for all of us, especially for you. Go now, you can come back in the morning.'

'And what about James?' she asked watching her Captain whose eyes were still closed.

Theodore smiled. 'I'll look after him, don't worry.'

She put a fresh wet rag on Norrington's forehead and left to her quarters.

Her mind hadn't processed yet the traumatic events of the day, and so she calmly and thoroughly cleaned herself before putting on her night clothes.

She laid down on her bed, and tried to sleep, but as soon as her eyes were shut, images flashed in her mind. Threatening pirates, Simon's smile, injured men, fighting, life going out of the dark-skinned pirate she had killed, white masses dropped to the sea, Andrew's compassionate face, James being stabbed…

She instantly rose from her bed and threw water on her face to chase those haunting visions, but it wouldn't leave her.

The sound of men screaming, James shouting her name, the laughter of the scary pirate, Theodore's solemn speech during the funerals, Tim's voice, all the sounds echoed in her mind as well.

Plagued by those terrible events, she sat on the wooden floor and rocked herself, her knees in her arms, and she cried and cried and cried until physical and emotional exhaustion got the best of her and she blacked out, oblivious to the cold.

After a few hours, she woke up with a start, for even in her dreams it all played over and over again. She changed for her day clothes and went out to feel the fresh air of the morning. She couldn't stop thinking about what happened yesterday, the horror, the atrocity of battles, the black heart of some men, Death taking with her both innocents and not so innocents, but still there was hope. As long as good men lived and fought for justice, life was worth living. And thus her mind shifted to higher thoughts, the men in the medicine quarters and her Captain needed her, she would look after them until they could walk on their own.

She was surprised to see doctor Davis, up and about, still looking after the two men with the help of another man.

'How are they, doctor?'

'They'll manage, you have of great help yesterday, Mister Reynolds, I don't even want to think about what would have happened without your presence. So… thank you.'

'I was merely doing my duty, sir. Saving lives was the top priority.'

'Yes that also, that also…' he coughed. 'Anyway, I'll let you look after our Captain if you don't mind. Your expertise seems … err, more in need than mine…'

Lawrence understood how awkward he must have been for a doctor on board of a ship belonging to the Navy to have been given orders by someone half his age and with no official medical qualifications whatsoever. Now she felt awkward herself, realizing how bold she had been in the heat of the moment, and forgotten her position. She bowed her head and thanked him before going to the Captain's quarters.

She found Lieutenant Gillette, visibly exhausted, seated on a chair by his Captain's side.

'Ah, Lawrence! Come to take my place?'

'That was indeed my intention, Andrew.' She smiled at the over cheerfulness of her friend. 'Has he awoken yet?'

Gillette shook his head, which caused the young girl to frown and bite her bottom lip in worry.

'Alright, I suppose it's only normal due to the severity of his injury. You can go to sleep now, Andrew, James is in good hands.'

'Oh I know he is!' Her friend smiled. He realized neither Groves nor he had told her about their discovery, but he was too tired to start on the subject and this kind of discussion could well wait another day or two.

When he left, Lawrence proceeded to change Norrington's bandages, and cover his healing wound with the balm. His fever hadn't broken yet, and so she spent the next hours replacing the rag on his forehead by fresher ones. She was too worried to see time pass, and so she was surprised when Groves came to take her place at noon.

The end of the afternoon and early evening's shift was Gillette's, and hers was at night, so while she waited for her turn, she either visited the injured men in the crew's quarters, helped doctor Davis, or took up her former tasks of when she wasn't an officer. With the couple of men that had been killed, her help was more than needed and so she happily obliged, happy to fill her mind with the task to do, and not the dreadful past events.

Two hours before midnight, she took her shift at the Captain's bedside. She was to wake Lieutenant Groves at the break of dawn, but she never did, his sleep was more needed than hers. After all, he was to command the ship with Lieutenant Gillette, and that required a clear mind, so she gave him, without his knowing, a few hours more to sleep.

James Norrington had woken up in the early hours of the evening, only to fall back into unconsciousness, but that was a good sign nonetheless. He was less feverish and his heart rate had stabilized, but still, Lawrence worried.

She took his left hand in hers hand stroked it with her right thumb.

'Come on James, you can do it. I know you can. Think of all the years you still have to live… You wouldn't die without proposing and marrying and having beautiful children with Miss Swann, would you?' The mere thought of him being with another woman hurt her deep in the heart. 'You wouldn't leave us return to Port Royal without you... You wouldn't leave _me_, James? Not so soon…' A tear rolled down her cheek. Now that she thought about it, she realized how important James Norrington had become to her. She longed to see his emerald of his eyes shine, to see the creases at the corner of his eyes when he smiled, to hear the melody of his voice that only she could hear…

In the morning, a freshly awoken Groves admonished her.

'Who didn't wake me this morning, Lawrence...'

'As were my intentions, and it will remain so. I don't mind looking after the Captain until this hour, and by the way, I have the whole day to take a nap!'

'If you say so…'

She glanced one last time at the sleeping man and left.

Though she hadn't slept, she was feeling quite awake and so she went along with her day as the day before, taking a two-hour nap at noon before returning to her duty. However, during her short time of sleep, James Norrington had awoken and wished to speak to his, quote "officers and friends". As Lieutenant Groves was looking for her in different places, he wondered with good hopes whether his Captain now considered Lawrence as friend. He eventually found her on the main deck, sleeping between two chests, and decided not to wake her up.

'Oh…' said Norrington, looking slightly disappointed. 'Well, I guess it's best to let him sleep indeed. But now, tell me everything about the last two days!'

His Lieutenants recalled step by step all that had happened since he had blacked out, making sure not to forget any details about Lawrence's professionalism during the aftermath, including thoroughly taking of him. Obviously, neither of the Lieutenants mentioned that Lawrence was in fact a woman in disguise, as they feared their Captain's reaction might delay his good recovery.

They talked with him for another hour before he fell asleep. Feeling confident about his state, they decided to let him sleep unwatched until they had had _the_ talk with Lawrence.

'Lawrence…'

'What is it, Theodore?' she said, untangling fishing nets on the forecastle. When she saw the serious look in his eyes, she instantly dropped the nets and began to turn pale. 'James…'

Gillette rolled his eyes, trying hard to conceal his smile.

'No, he's fine, he has just fallen asleep, he was well awake for two hours and inquired about the events of the last days.'

Lawrence sighed in relief. 'Then what, why those long faces?' She frowned, crossing her arms and looking several times at her friends.

Groves glanced around to be sure no one was within ear-reach and said:

'Why don't we all sit? Good.' He took a deep breath, feeling very uncomfortable.

'Listen we… we know about… err, we know that you are a woman…'

'You, you what? No! But… how?' She froze, as though struck by lightning. She didn't know what to do, she couldn't think of any to say to deny it.

'After your fight with that pirate' started Gillette 'When we checked whether you had been wounded… Your, err, scarf or whatever it is had gotten a bit loose and… well…' He was clearly as uncomfortable as his male friend.

Lawrence gulped, if they had seen what they claimed they had, then no lie would cover this revelation. Her cheeks went from deadly white to bright red. She dared not look at them in the eyes, so she stared at Groves' boots instead.

'Do you realise how dangerous this is? Why, why did you do it? Why did you tell neither of us? Does anyone else know?'

'I, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get caught, I had no choice really, I…' and so she told for the first time her real story.

After she had revealed her past in its entirety, Gillette took her hand and squeezed it.

'I'm so sorry to hear this, Lawrence, I mean Charlotte…, no, Lawrence!'

'Now that we know all of it, I can only wonder how you managed to do it, so far, being a woman and everything… You definitely are one of the bravest persons I've ever met' confessed Lieutenant Groves. 'And actually, that explains a _lot_ of things!' he said, winking at Gillette who nodded in agreement.

'Such as your general built and your face, for example. You pretended to be four years younger than you are, which was clever of you I admit, only to justify your lack of facial hair'

'And let's not forget your voice too.'

'And how you look at James…' Groves chuckled.

'Wait, how I… I do not!' the young woman said, blushing even more, her eyes and mouth opening wider in shock.

'Yes, yes you do!'

She rolled her eyes, her friends were obviously teasing her.

'Please, don't tell him about who I am. He doesn't need to know. And anyway, I'll probably be assigned to another ship in Port Royal, so…'

Groves frowned, puzzled.

'We can't lie to him Lawrence, you know that. He's our superior and our dear friend. However…'

'However?' she repeated hopefully, looking at him.

'Some delay until his full recovery would be good for all of us, I think.'

'Oh thank you, Theodore!' she jumped to her feet and hugged him, then hugged Lieutenant Gillette as well.

'Thank you so much, my friends. I will never be able to thank you enough.'

'Behave like the young man you're supposed to _be_ instead of hugging us, you silly!' Andrew laughed. 'Well, now that it's done, I can return to my place at James' side. Ah, a part of me can't wait to see his face once he knows about it…' He smiled at the idea, walking back to the Captain's quarters.

'You realise the dangers you've faced from the day you left your home? My stomach is in knots just thinking about what could have happened to you…' Groves said, squeezing her shoulder with his right arm. 'Anyway, that doesn't change the fact that I still consider you as a brother, young _man_.'

Lawrence laughed. 'Thank you, Theodore, I really appreciate your kindness, and also Andrew's. I'm not sure the Captain will be that comprehensive about such a case…'


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimers: I don't own Potc and its characters.**

**Thank you all for everything!**

* * *

'Ah, and here comes the man that saved the day!' said Norrington when Lawrence came to take her shift at his sides. The mere sound of his voice, though still a bit weak, brightened her whole face. As she sat on the chair next to his bed, she said:

'It is so good to see you awake at last, Captain.'

He gave her a small smile, relieved to see that she was well.

'I do believe that considering the past events we ought to call each other by our first name, don't you agree, Lawrence?'

'Yes, sir! I mean, yes… J-James.' It felt really strange to call him by his first name, it felt so intimate.

Norrington's smile broadened slightly more and then he locked his eyes on hers.

'What you…, when you went after that pirate to avenge me…, that was very brave of you. That and how you took care of the injured men, including myself, I… I am truly touched and, and deeply grateful.' It was a rare occasion to witness Captain Norrington's speech so inarticulate, which only proved how true his words were.

Lawrence broke their eye contact to stare at her feet, visibly embarrassed, as her cheeks turned to red.

'I was only doing my duty sir, anybody would have done the same…'

Norrington shook his head, still smiling.

'No, I don't think so. Of all the crew of the _Dauntless_, _you_ were the one who acted in such an honourable way. Which makes you all the more precious on board of this ship, and with your agreement, once in Port Royal, I will do my best to keep you on board with the Lieutenants Groves and Gillette, and myself.'

Her throat went dry, and as she felt tears threatening to flow, she looked away and scanned the Captain's bookshelf.

'How about some reading?' She said to change the subject. The more she thought about it, the more she dreaded the moment when Gillette and or Groves would tell her Captain about her true nature. She knew she would never sail again, let alone with him, and that tore her heart.

When she went back to the chair, her face was composed and did not betray any of her thoughts.

Not long after she had started to read, Norrington fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, a nightmare woke him up, leaving him breathless and drenched with sweat; his fever had returned. The expression he carried in his eyes was that of a frightened man who didn't know where he was.

'It's alright, James. Everything is fine. It was just a bad dream' she told him, encircling his shoulders with one arm and stroking his back with the other. She had read somewhere that such actions would make any one having a sort of attack feel more relaxed, but she at the moment, only her instincts had pushed her to try to soothe him.

Once his breathing had settled back to normal, she pulled back from the embrace she was giving him but then she felt a resistance on her left arm. Norrington was clutching to it as though his life depended on it and that breaking the contact between them would send him back to his nightmare.

He looked at her with almost pleading eyes, his eyes greener than before because of the fever.

'Please, d-don't leave yet, Lawrence…' His voice was broken, barely audible.

'I'm not leaving you, James, I promise.' She couldn't sit back in her chair that had been pushed away in her hurry without breaking contact with him only for a few milliseconds, so she crouched on the floor, her left elbow resting on his bed and her arm caught between his.

She gave him a reassuring smile.

'Nothing will harm you while I'm around, Captain. You can sleep now.'

He stared at her face for a long moment, not saying a thing, not betraying any of his thoughts, before his eyes started to feel heavy, leading him to drift back to sleep.

Lawrence felt very uncomfortable under his gaze, she almost got frightened. 'I wonder what he might be thinking of' she thought. 'The fever has evidently troubled his senses, and tomorrow he would have forgotten all of it. Captain James Norrington would _never_ behave in such a way; he would never feel so helpless and dependent on someone else.' She thought about it, over and over, and then, having slept two hours in three days, she fell asleep, her head resting next to James's stomach and her arm still imprisoned.

In the morning, the two Lieutenants went to see how their Captain was feeling but when they entered his quarters, the sight caught them off-guard. Their friends were both sleeping soundly, in the same position as when Lawrence had fallen asleep.

Gillette and Groves smiled to each other.

'How about we let them wake up by themselves? A bit more of sleep will do them good.'

'I couldn't agree more, Theodore.' He chuckled. 'Oh, if James only knew Lawrence was a woman, I think his world would be drastically changed.'

They both left the room, talking about their sleeping friends and imagining without any remorse a life where James and Lawrence would be together.

At noon, Norrington started to awaken, feeling better than he ever had since he had taken bed. When he stirred, he noticed that his hands were entrapping Lawrence's arm, and that this very person was sleeping, the head almost on his stomach. He gently let go of her arm and frowned, clearly not understanding how such a thing could have happened.

He sat straighter in his bed and coughed. Having sensed some movement beneath her, Lawrence lazily opened her eyes. When she peered through the curtain of her tangled hair, she noticed her Captain was already awake and raising an eyebrow at her.

She rose up right away, blushing furiously. She had never intended to fall asleep, let alone almost on her convalescent Captain.

'Good morning, Lawrence. I trust you slept well…'

'G-Good morning to you Sir. I-I deeply apologise for my behaviour. This wasn't supposed to happen, I am so sorry, I…'

Norrington laughed, his amusement reaching his eyes.

'No need to apologise between friends. And besides, I don't think I would have found sleep at all, had you not been there for me. I thank you for this. But as I am feeling much better now, I think we can safely say that such an awkward situation isn't to happen again.'

Lawrence smiled, relieved that no incidence would come of her behaviour and mostly glad that he remembered last night's episode.

'I am pleased then. Shall I fetch you something to eat before while calling Andrew and Theodore?'

'Oh please do, I'm starving! And if you haven't something better to do, you are welcome to stay here with me and our mutual friends.'

'I would be glad to do so. Don't you do something stupid while I'm away, Captain' she teased him, still smiling, and left the quarters.

When she was gone, Norrington stared into space, thinking about how unrealistic the last days had been. Lawrence had been so attentive with him, so caring. And her embrace of last night, when he felt at the worst… She had known how to comfort him, how to ease his pain. And though it had been nothing but a friendly gesture, it warmed his heart.

Lawrence found Gillette and Groves on the top deck, looking at maps and charts.

'Oh, but soft! here cometh our Sleeping Beauty freshly awake!'

She rolled her eyes. 'Good day to you too, Andrew. I assume you have enjoyed seeing me ridiculing myself while sleeping half on our Captain, then?'

'Tho-rough-ly!'

'You do realize that this doesn't mean anything at all?'

'Oh but of course, of course.' He glanced at Groves. 'We would _never_ make up any assumptions on the basis of observations and facts.'

'And anyway, it is not our fault if…' began Groves before being stopped by his female friend.

'Ah, stop, no more of your stories, gentlemen. The Captain is asking for your presence, and some sustenance as well.'

'I shall hope you'll also be eating something Lawrence' said Groves, with a serious look. 'You look like you haven't eaten in days.'

'Well, now that you say it, I think you may be right. And yes, obviously I'm going to eat as well.'

'With us and the Captain?' hoped Gillette.

'Of course! But first, I'll clean up a bit, I really look like a mess. See you in a moment!'

Feeling fresher and starving, she came back to the quarters in which she seemed to spend most of her days in, not that it bothered her in the least. Her friends were eagerly talking about how confident they were to reach Santiago de Cuba in two weeks and Port Royal before the end of the month.

'I look forward to showing you around Port Royal, Lawrence. I am sure you will find as well as I do a certain undeniable charm to this city.'

'I will be delighted to have you as my personal guide, James' the young woman said, meaning what she said, though a part of her wasn't so pleased with it due to a certain Governor's daughter who was residing there, probably counting the days until the Captain of the _Dauntless_ would come back and finally propose to her.

'Ah, look at you two, all friendly and full of plans' said Groves. 'Such a sight warms my heart to the core.'

After glancing at one another, the whole company of four laughed merrily.

'Well, I am sorry to ruin the mood, but I must go to the helm, my duties and all that…' he continued. 'I can't wait for you to take back the commands, James. Honestly, even with Andrew, I realize how much this position asks of you.'

'Do not worry any longer, Theodore, I will be right as rain before we've reached Santiago de Cuba'

'I'll take you up on this, James! Ah and, can I borrow you Andrew for a moment?'

'But of course, I do hope to have dinner with you both tonight.'

'Lawrence will be there too?' teased Gillette.

Norrington glance at her, smiling, before saying 'Isn't it obvious?'

Lawrence was happily surprised by those last words, and felt the heat coming up to her cheeks. To cover up her embarrassment, she spoke.

'Off with you two already! James and I have a matter to discuss on Agrippa d'Aubigné, and I highly doubt the subject will entertain you.'

'On that you are perfectly right' began Groves. 'Good afternoon to you two.'

'See you at dinner time' said Gillette, and the two of them left.

'I need to see to your wound, Captain. How about I change your bandages and then we take some fresh air?'

'This plan sounds very good, and I long to be out in the open indeed.'

Lawrence realized this would be the first time she'd change his bandages while he was awake and feeling like himself, not feverish and half-asleep, or unconscious. This would definitely be awkward. She coughed a bit, took a deep breath, put on her professional face and gently pulled up his shirt. James was amazed by the delicacy there was in her hands, such hands seemed so unfit to the harsh life on board of a ship, and yet, there his young Ensign was. His flesh was covered with goose bumps when her fingers grazed his chest to unwrap his old bandages. He closed his eyes and willed himself to think of anything else but the present situation.

When she sensed him tense, she stepped back, worry in her eyes.

'Have I hurt you, Captain? If it is the case, I am so sorry I…'

'N-no' he said, his voice a bit hoarse. 'No it's fine, Lawrence, it's fine.'

She looked at him suspiciously then finished wrapping his new bandages, her hands resting unconsciously two seconds longer on him; if he noticed, he did not say anything.

She pulled down his shirt, and helped him be more presentable; when he put back on his wig, she softly smiled.

'I had almost missed the sight of that wig, you know. Not that there is anything wrong with your hair, on the contrary, but, err'

Norrington laughed and rolled his eyes.

'I know, I missed my wig too, though I do like my hair also. So, shall we?' He took her arm for a few paces then saw how much he needed of a stable support to walk; but as he loathed the idea of young valid men walking around with a cane, he had none in his quarters.

'I think I will have to lean on you a bit more, Lawrence, will that be alright? We can always call back Andrew or Theodore…'

'No no, it's alright James, here, let me…' she circled his back with one arm while he, slightly hunched because he was taller than her, circled his left arm around her shoulders.

Both James and Lawrence relished the feeling of the other's warmth so close, and both internally admonished themselves for their thoughts.

Norrington was greeted by the cheers of his crew, happy to finally see their Captain in a better state. He thanked them wholeheartedly then leaned to Lawrence's ear and whispered:

'Can we find a quieter place on this deck? Their overenthusiasm, however grateful I am, makes me head spin, and I wouldn't want to faint in front of everyone…'

They went to the forecastle where they both sat next to each other, watching in silence the infinity of the sea spreading before them, and enjoying the other's company.

'Andrew, Andrew, look!' Groves showed with his head where their mutual friends where.

'Well, if you ask me, I find this sight quite romantic in itself, considering.'

His friend nodded in agreement before he added 'We still haven't told him, and we shouldn't wait much longer now that he feels better.'

'You're right, maybe tomorrow if we have the occasion then.'

Lawrence and the Captain went back to his quarters after a while, where they talked about their favourite subjects until the arrival for dinner of Theodore and Andrew.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimers: I don't own Potc, Norrington, Gillette, nor Groves.**  
**A big thank you to my readers.**

* * *

During the two weeks preceding their arrival at Santiago de Cuba, Lawrence and James Norrington had become as thick as thieves; they spent most of their days in each other's company, much to the Lieutenants Gillette and Groves' delight. Lawrence helped him around the main deck for his daily take of fresh air, read to him, and mostly had the most intelligent discussions she ever had with anyone, while James slowly but surely healed, relishing the company of his youngest friend.

When they finally arrived, Norrington had fully recovered. He hadn't planned on staying at Santiago de Cuba for more than two days, however, the closer he got to Port Royal, the more reluctant he felt towards his return there, to return _home_. Given the recent events and the last months, he felt more at ease on his ship, sailing over the immensity of the sea with his friends, and, much to his surprise, he had almost forgotten about his plans of proposal.

This is why, one reason adding to the other, he decided to extend their stay to five days.

'Maybe the woman of my life is here, in this city, waiting for me…' said Groves dreamily.

Gillette loudly laughed at his friend's idea, slapping him on the back, Norrington rolled his eyes and chuckled. As for Lawrence, she smiled and got lost in her thoughts. 'At least, I know I'll never get tired of the sea. So I won't ever need to settle back to a normal life and marry someone. And anyway, nobody would ever want me, as a lady, I am nothing since I left my home, no dowry, no reputation, and try to explain to someone else my life on the open sea, disguised as a man… No, my future is as Ensign Lawrence Reynolds, young _male_ officer of His Majesty's Navy. And I won't ever trade that new identity for anything in the world.'

'Maybe he's thinking about his ideal lady, waiting for him someone!' said Gillette, winking at his friend Theodore, obviously knowing how ridiculous such an idea was, given who Lawrence was.

Sensing that all eyes were upon her, Lawrence came back to earth and looked at her friends with wide eyes.

Beside her, Norrington shifted, clearly uncomfortable by the turn of the discussion. Something inside him rebuffed this idea; he couldn't imagine his youngest friend infatuated with the charms of the other sex, courting a woman, marrying a woman.

'Shall we find some decent place to have a drink, gentlemen?' he said, changing abruptly the subject.

'Lead the way, Captain Norrington!' said Groves and Gillette at the same time.

As the four officers walked side by side, looking dashing in their best clothes, the ladies of higher rank they passed in the street looked at them with awe, giggling behind their fan, and batting their lashes in hope of catching the attention of the Captain. Lawrence looked at her friend then at them, one eyebrow raised. She almost felt disgusted by such a blatant want of attention and hope of a good match. Lost in her thoughts, she looked back at her friend and frowned.

'Anything troubling you, Lawrence?' Norrington said, half smiling.

She shook her head and said, too quickly for her mouth to filter her thoughts:

'I just can't imagine you with a woman of their likes.'

James cocked one eyebrow, surprised by what his friend just said.

'Really?'

'I mean… I do but… Sorry, I'm losing tracks of my thoughts. I shouldn't have said that, please forget it.'

The Captain chuckled and dropped the subject to ease his friend. 'And yet, I am to marry a woman just like them…' he thought with a touch of regret.

The small company entered the tavern that looked the most decent and ordered their tea.

A dozen of minutes later, a man of average size, wearing a long wig and a splendid uniform approached their table.

_« Capitaine James Norrington! »_ he said with a voice surprisingly loud for his seize. _« Quelle joie de vous rencontrer enfin. Dès que j'ai entendu que votre navire avait jeté l'ancre dans mon port, je suis venu aussitôt que j'ai pu. Je suis Jean Duplessier, Gouverneur de cette ville. C'est un honneur de vous accueillir ici. »_ (What a delight to meet you at last. As soon as I've heard your ship had laid anchor in my port, and came as soon as I could, I am Jean Duplessier, Governor of this city. It is an honour to welcome you here.)

The company rose upon the arrival of the Governor and Norrington shook his hand.

_« Je vous remercie, Gouverneur Duplessier, c'est un honneur de vous rencontrer. »_ said Norrington in a faultless French (Thank you, Governor Duplessier, I am honoured to make your acquaintance, sir.)

_« Puis-je me joindre à vous? »_ (May I join you?)

_« Bien entendu, je vous en prie. »_ (But of course, please do.)

« Avec qui ai-je l'honneur de m'asseoir? » (Whom have I the honour to sit with?) The Governor asked to the three other officers.

_« Je suis un Leftenant Theodore Groves » _(I am Lieutenant Theodore Groves), he said in a broken French.

_« Lieutenant Andrew Gillette »_

_« Et je suis l'Enseigne Lawrence Reynolds, c'est un plaisir de faire votre rencontre. »_ (And I am Ensign Lawrence Reynolds, sir, pleasure to meet you.)

'Of course Lawrence's French would be perfect, how else could it be…' thought Norrington, impressed by his friend and smiling to himself.

The Governor was very pleased to meet the Captain and his officers, and, as every Frenchman worth of its name, he did not bother to switch to English and genuinely assumed that any man worth his time should adapt and speak French.

He exchanged a few words with Captain Norrington then turned to Lawrence, smiling at her a bit too fondly to her taste, in a way that made her stomach turn; the Governor was looking at her as though she were a juicy piece of meat, his voice was like luscious honey.

_« Et comment se fait-ce qu'un garçon aussi jeune que vous soyez déjà officier dans la Marine ? Vous devez être quelqu'un de grande valeur, sans aucun doute… »_ (How come a boy as young as you are already is an officer in the Navy ? You must be someone of great promises, without any doubt…)

_« Après avoir servi quelque temps sous les commandes du Capitaine Norrington, il a jugé bon de me primer Enseigne. Ma place n'est pas de questionner ses actions, mais de n'être qu'honoré par sa bienveillance. »_ (After serving for a while under Captain Norrington's command, he has seen fit to promote me as an Ensign. My place is not to question his action, but merely to be honored by his benevolence)

Governor Duplessier nodded, his smile still too wide and crooked to make Lawrence feel at ease.

_« Je vois… Me feriez-vous l'honneur de me joindre pour diner le Capitaine et vous-même, ce soir, dans ma demeure ? »_ (I see… Would the Captain and yourself honour me by your presence at diner, tonight, in my estate?)

The Governor blatantly ignored the two Lieutenants, in whom he had no interest whatsoever, caring in the least about being rude or not.

Lawrence looked at Norrington with a blank face. Usually, her thoughts betrayed themselves by reflecting themselves on her face in a frown, an eyebrow raised, different types of smiles; so Norrington, having grown accustomed to his friend's quirks over the weeks, knew that she wasn't feeling at ease about this invitation.

_« Je crains que l'Enseigne Reynolds ne se sente pas à sa place au milieu d'une si haute société, peut-être… »_ (I fear that Ensign Reynolds might not feel at ease in such a high society, perhaps…)

_« Foutaises, Monsieur! Soyez là pour sept heures. »_ (Nonsense, sir ! Be there at seven.) Duplessier said before casting one last glance at Lawrence and leaving the tavern.

Lawrence let go of the breath she didn't know she was catching until now and stared at her empty cup of tea.

'Well, if you want my opinion, I don't like this man at all' said Andrew, crossing his arms. 'And I can't say I understood one bit of what he said… What was that about?'

Norrington frowned, looking at Lawrence.

'Governor Duplessier wants Lawrence and me to have dinner with him, tonight, at his house.' He sighed, his eyes still fixed on the same person as before. 'There is something no right about this man…'

'Oh really?' sneered Groves. 'This man disgusts me. The way he was looking at Lawrence, as though he wanted to eat him or something…'

Lawrence shivered at those words.

'Please, can we talk about something else?' she pleaded.

James put his hand on hers, making her lift her head to fix her eyes on him.

'We won't go, Lawrence. You don't feel at peace with the prospective, so we won't. And I don't care about what he may think of me after that.'

'No! I refuse to let you tarnish your reputation because of me, James. We will go, it's just a dinner, there is nothing to fear. Now, can we talk about something else, please?'

'How about sight-seeing to change the mood?' proposed Theodore, rising from his seat and already moving towards the street.

Norrington realised he was still cupping his friend's hand, which would look suspicious to anyone, being in all appearances two men; he let go of her hand and cleared his voice, rising up and waiting for her before following the friends outward.

'We can still go back to the ship, Lawrence' Norrington said when they were both in front of the gates of Duplessier's estate at the given time.

His friend shook her head.

'It's alright James, it's just a dinner, and besides, I'm not alone' She smiled sincerely at him then put on her mask of placidity.

For a moment, Lawrence imagined this situation in another way; she imagined herself as a fine lady, married to the man beside her, and complaining with her dear husband about some dinner they wished they could avoid.

_« Ah, vous voici enfin! Mais venez, venez, soyez les bienvenus. Suivez-moi, je vais vous faire la visite. »_ (Ah, here you are at last ! Come in, come in, welcome into my house. _Follow me, I'll show you around_) Duplessier was very eager to boast and impose on them his refined taste in arts and all sorts of things.

The Captain and his young Ensign didn't say a word and followed their host, complimenting him here and there.

_« Regardez, Capitaine, j'ai tout récemment fait l'acquisition des carnets de bords du Capitaine de La Belle, Robert de LaSalle. Ses écrits sont fascinants ! Tenez, si vous pouviez me trouver la page où il parle de ses mésaventures… »_ (Look, Captain, I've recently made the acquisition of the Captain of the _Belle_'s log, Robert de LaSalle. His writings are truly fascinating. Here, if you could find for me the page where he talks about his misadventures…)

_« Mais certainement, Gouverneur Duplessier. »_ (But of course, Governor Duplessier) said Norrington, faking his enthusiasm and obliged to his host's request.

_« Et vous, mon brave garçon, venez voir cette réplique de vaisseau. C'est ma préférée ! »_ (And you, my good boy, come see this ship model. It's my favourite !)

He put his cream-white hands on Lawrence's shoulders, gently patting them, and led her to the model.

_« Voyez avec quelle finesse il a été fait, si frêle, si fragile. Il faut le manier avec délicatesse. »_ (See the attention given to it, it is so frail, so weak. It has to be handled with a lot a care) he said with a honeyed voice, lowering his hands from her shoulders to fondle her rear.

Lawrence almost leapt away from him on the instant, her skin crawled with goose bumps. She tried to remain as calm as her nerves allowed her not to cause a scene and ruin James' reputation by her misconduct.

Norrington was unaware of what just happened, still looking through the log of De LaSalle, and so he was startled by his young friend's sudden presence at his sides.

_« Je vous prie de m'excuser, Gouverneur Duplessier. Je crois que je suis bien plus fascinée par les récits écrits que les répliques de bateau. »_ (I beg your pardon, Governor Duplessier. I believe writings are more appealing to me than model ships) Lawrence said, looking as innocent as she could. Norrington's brow ever so slightly furrowed as he glanced at her.

_« Bon, bon, je comprends, je comprends. Mais ce n'est pas tout, passons aux choses sérieuses à présent, le diner nous attend. »_ (Now then, I understand, I understand. Let us go down to real thing, our dinner is waiting for us) Duplessier didn't see Lawrence's escape from his touch the same way she did, with his sick mind, he merely thought she was playing with him, as cat and mice. He gave her a sly smile, already imagining the several ways he could catch his little prey.

As they went to the other side of the house, where their meal was indeed waiting for them, Duplessier tried several times to get closer to Lawrence, but each time, she pretended to look at something on the opposite side of him, much to the Governor's liking, as he was very much enjoying this situation.

Norrington felt that something was going on, but he couldn't be sure, as nothing happened before his eyes.

The three of them sat at the overabundant table, Lawrence and Norrington next to each other and at the opposite side of their host. As the servants copiously filled their plates, the mood became lighter, and nothing suspicious happened until the Governor asked if the Captain and his young friend would like to stay over for the night, as many of his guest rooms were empty and ready for them.

_« Je pourrais ainsi vous montrer ma collection de joyaux que je garde soigneusement dans ma chambre, Enseigne Reynolds, leur beauté n'en est que plus remarquable au clair de lune. »_ (Thus, I could show you my collection of precious stones that I keep with care in my chambers, Ensign Reynolds. Their beauty is all the more remarkable in the moonlight). His comment rang alarm bells in James' mind, Lawrence shivered and found herself unable to open her mouth; his disgusting advances were so blatant that she was dumb-founded and dropped her fork in her plate.

Under the table, James put his hand on her knee to reassure her. Such a gesture would have shocked both of them in any other context, but the Captain couldn't care less, he just wanted to tell his friend that nothing would happen as long as he was here with her; as for Lawrence, she managed to relax at his touch, realizing how familiar his hand felt. She covered his hand with hers, to silently thank him for his care.

_« C'est très gentil à vous, mais nous ne pouvons accepter. Par ailleurs, je crois qu'il est grand temps pour nous de retourner à bord du Dauntless, il se fait tard. »_ (It is very kind of you, but we cannot accept your offer. And besides, it is high time for us to go back on board of the _Dauntless_, it is getting late) Norrington announced, rising from his seat and helping Lawrence to do the same.

_« Déjà? Quel dommage… Enfin, je suis sûr que nos chemins vont se recroiser d'ici votre départ de Santiago de Cuba »_ (Already ? What a pity… Oh well, I'm sure we will meet again before your leaving Santiago de Cuba) Duplessier said, with a disappointed look but giving Lawrence a sly smile.

They said their goodbyes, thanking him for his kindness and left his house.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimers: I don't own POTC, Norrington and his two Lieutenants.**  
**A big thank you to all my readers!**

* * *

'Thank you, James…' Lawrence finally said once they were both walking in the streets, away from that house.

Norrington tried to think of appropriate words to say, but he didn't know how to react. If they had stayed, his friend would have been abused by the Governor, that much was certain. Had he known, he would have kept an eye on her the whole time; only now did he guess why she had jumped so quickly back in the exposition room of Duplessier, when he was looking for the piece of information he had been asked to find. He dreaded to ask her, and yet he felt he had to, if only to curse himself even more.

'Did… did something happen during his tour of the house?'

At first she didn't answer, then, after a moment she finally said, flatly, trying to hide the fury boiling inside her:

'Just, just wandering hands and pervert looks, nothing to worry about.'

Norrington stopped in the middle of the street to face her, astounded.

'He what?' His face was contorted by anger, disgust, and worry for his friend.

'Oh Lawrence, I am so sorry, there are no words to… It's all my fault, I should have guessed something was wrong, I shouldn't have accepted his invitation, I…'

'No, don't you dare blame yourself! I decided to go with you, I couldn't bear the idea of your reputation being tarnish because of my rudeness, or whatever people would have called it.'

Norrington put his hands on his friend's shoulder, holding her at arm's length, and locking his eyes on hers.

'Will you be alright?' he asked, worry betraying his voice.

She lifted her right hand to squeeze his left one, still holding her shoulder.

'Of course I will, James. Please, can we forget about all this and not tell the others? I just want to forget about tonight's events.'

'Alright' he sighed reluctantly before letting go of her and straightening himself when he realized his open display of sentiment.

On the way back to the _Dauntless_, they tried their best to keep the subject of conversation light-hearted, though they both replayed over again what had happened back in this house.

As usual, Lawrence being of the optimistic kind, she turned the subject around in her mind, putting aside the unpleasant parts and focusing on how much James had shown his care, how he had touched her knee under the table to make her know that he was here for her, how he had abruptly ended the dinner to spare her more emotional trauma, and just then, his worried words, in the middle of a deserted street, both half-cloaked by the night.

During the two following days, Lawrence and the Captain never left Gillette and Groves' company, who were left in ignorance about what had happened with the Governor. The company of four spent their days visiting the rest of the city, having their usual afternoon each time in a different tavern for fear of being found by the Governor again.

On the third day, Lawrence decided to stay a while longer on board of the ship, promising to join her friends later. She took a nap in her quarters and was woken with a start by the sound of the bell announcing the fifth hour of the afternoon. She realized she was late for their tea and hastily put on her formal clothes.

She ran down the boarding plank, then across the harbour before catching her breath and starting to look for the appointed tavern in several streets.

'There can't be hundreds of street around here. Why can't I find that _Rising Sun_ tavern!' she mumbled to herself, to busy looking ahead to notice anything else.

« _Je savais que je te retrouverai, mon joli! » _(I knew I'd find you again, my pretty boy!) said an all too familiar voice behind her.

She turned round, and there was Governor Duplessier, with a lean man she hadn't seen before. The man said to his friend that indeed, he found the boy's delicate face to his taste.

Lawrence's blood turned cold at his words. She didn't care about the etiquette now, and so she began to run away from them, but the lean man outran her and yanked her roughly by the arm, putting one of his on her mouth.

She tried to bite his hand, to scream, to free herself, but in vain. No one was there to help her, and even if there were people there, she wasn't sure they would help her, judging by how sick the Governor of this city was.

In her struggle, the ribbon tying her hair had gone off, her face was flushed, and more importantly, her bindings got loose under her shirt.

Glancing down, the man stepped back, though still holding one of her arms behind her back, and looked with an incredulous face at the Governor.

The Governor was as surprised as his friend, glancing at her face then at her revealing breasts.

_« Le garçon était en fait une femme! J'aurais dû le savoir, les traits étaient trop délicats… Mais, c'est que ça change beaucoup de choses à présent… »_ (The boy was in fact a woman ! I should have known, the features were too soft… But, that changes a lot of things now…)

'You pig, don't you dare touch me!' screamed Lawrence, not caring whether he understood or not.

'Let go! I said LET GO OF ME!' she screamed louder, wriggling as best she could.

The Governor and the lean man were both saying profanities in French, concluding that they would send her to the lowest whore-house of the area.

The tumult they had made attracted a few local people around.

'Let me through, let me see to the matter' said a soft voice Lawrence recognized instantly.

'No, no he mustn't see me, no…' she thought out loud, tears starting to pool at her eyes.

James Norrington, Groves and Gillette elbowed their ways through the cross to see what the cause of all those screams was, as they thought they had recognized their friend's voice.

'Lawrence!' Norrington almost leapt forward until he was cut short by the vision in front of him. His friend was still being held by the lean man, her face was red, her mid-long blond hair flowing freely for what seemed to him the first time, and her shirt revealing the swelling of a woman's breast.

For a moment, Norrington's mind went blank; this discovery was too hard to process.

Andrew and Theodore exchanged worried glances, both white as sheets. They urged the other people to clear the way, then came back and threatened the lean man with their swords, ordering him to let go of their friend. Being unarmed, the man dropped her to the ground, letting her fall like a rag doll, and left the scene, not wanting to be killed for such a stupid reason.

As Theodore was helping her stand and Andrew tried to make the Governor leave with his broken French, James was still standing where he was, his mouth slightly open, his eyes wide with shock.

'Look at me' he finally said after a long silence.

Lawrence lifted her head with difficulty, her breathing had become erratic, her tears were now flowing freely.

'Tell me it's just the sun or some food poisoning. Tell this isn't real, please Lawrence…' James' voice broke.

She finally gathered her strength and looked at him, blue-grey trimmed with red and blurred by tears staring at bright green.

'James, I-I can explain…'

The sound of her voice cleared his mind; he shook his head and put on his mask of impassivity.

'We won't have this discussion here in the open. Theodore, help her to my quarters. We need to talk, all four of us' his voice was harsh, his eyes darkened by anger and hurt.

He turned his back and went back to the harbour, his mind reeling at a great speed.

'Come here, Lawrence, let's go' Theodore said with a soothing voice as he held shoulders to help her walk.

Andrew picked up her ribbon, put it in his pocket, and followed them.

Lawrence's feet felt as heavy as her heart, she felt like a man going to the gallows. 'Maybe it's where I'm heading to anyway…' she thought with sorrow. 'First Duplessier's assault, now James finding out... What have I done to deserve this? It wasn't supposed to happen that way, he wasn't supposed to know, _ever_.'

The way back to the ship felt twice as long as it used to.

Dragging her feet, her hair falling as a curtain over her face, Lawrence climbed up the boarding plank. She stopped at the middle and looked back at her friends.

Theodore stroked her back, to give her strength while Andrew smiled at her reassuringly and squeezed her hand.

'We'll be right next to you. And you know James, he is just and kind, and a friend. There's nothing to fear' said Groves, trying to convince himself as well as her.

Lawrence took a deep breath, straightened her back, dried her tears with one hand, and walked on to the Captain's quarters. If she was to face a fate worse than death, as she believed it was, she would held her head high and stand with dignity.

The few crew members on the main deck stopped their work and look at her with shock, as they understood little by little what the situation was.

Lawrence knocked firmly on the door to announce her arrival, as it was open, and stepped right in, followed by her two friends.

'Close the door, Lieutenant Groves' a voice said. The Captain was pacing, his hands behind his back, his jaw clenched.

'I am going to ask you for the truth, Ensign Reynolds, can I trust that you will give me that, now?' His voice was emotionless, which broke Lawrence's heart almost more than the formal way he addressed her.

'Yes sir, I swear.'

'Good.' He glanced at her then stopped in front of her.

'Wh-' he tried to speak but found the words caught in his throat. He shook his head and rubbed his hands over his face to calm himself down and get more focused.

'Why, Lawrence… Why?' his voice was softer now, his eyes no longer held back how hurt he felt.

'I never meant to lie to you, James, I swear. I-I just couldn't risk everything I had built so far by revealing the truth.'

'How can I trust any word you say? Was everything a lie? Your past, your care, our… our friendship? Was this all part of a wicked plan to reach some higher end? Is Lawrence even your name?'

Lawrence did not lower her eyes and willed herself to stay strong.

'Actually, I was born Lady Charlotte Reynolds, of Charleston, about twenty years ago. Lawrence was my brother, he was to become an officer in the Navy but fate decided otherwise; he fell from his horse at the age of seventeen. My mother had died giving him birth, so that left only me and my father, Lord Charles Reynolds. My brother's death devastated him, as his only hopes and joys in life resided in my brother's success; being of the _weaker_ sex, my father never cared much about me, so after the tragic accident, he cast me out of his house, depriving me of any heritance at the same. He told me how much he had always hated me, and that to him I was now as good as dead. My father has never been a tender man, when his spirits were angered, he could become very violent, and I knew that if I stayed longer in Charleston, he'd kill me, because I'd be a waste of money to him and a constant reminder of Lawrence's death. As for the rest of my story, you already know it, I never lied about anything but my true nature and why I enrolled the Navy.'

Once she was done talking, she heaved a sighed, as though a weight was finally being lifted off her chest and she could breathe normally for the first time in months.

As she told him her story from the beginning, Norrington has regained control over his display of emotion, his face was unreadable.

'Did you know? How long have you known?' he asked, looking first at Groves then at Gillette.

'After the attack, when she killed that pirate. He had collapsed over her, we pushed him aside to see to her injuries and she was unconscious and… that how we discovered' Theodore confessed guiltily.

'What will happen now?' asked Gillette hesitantly.

'I need to think…' Norrington said as he started to pace the room.

His mind was in turmoil, he couldn't think straight, torn between what was expected of him, to perform his duty and treat this case objectively, and feeling sorry for her, understanding what had driven her to live such a dangerous life. His heart told him to forgive her, to forget about everything and act as though nothing had happened, but his mind of Captain of the Navy told him otherwise. 'First, taking someone else's identity, disguising herself as a man, lying to officials of the Navy… The punishment should be jail for a couple of years, but I can't possibly send him-her to such a place, she'd end up dead because of mistreatments, malnourishment, or epidemics…' he thought to himself, turning the arguments over and over again until he finally decided.

'Mr… Miss Reynolds, you shall be send on the next ship leaving to wherever any relatives of yours currently resides; your destination will be unknown by either myself or the Lieutenants. From now on, you are no longer a member of crew of the _Dauntless_; you will take on your true name and dress accordingly. Lieutenant Groves will help you have a private word with captains of other ships.' He let the announcement sink in, his expression still impenetrable.

Lawrence gulped. 'This is it' she thought. 'It's all over now… This is the last time I'll ever be in their company, the last time I'll see his face, and hear his voice, and I've got so much more to tell him…'

'I highly doubt we will be seeing each other again, Miss Reynolds. I wish you a pleasant life, wherever you will be. Lieutenant Gillette, you may accompany her if you wish. Godspeed, Miss Reynolds.'

To her surprise, the world did not crumble beneath her feet, the tears did not overflow her face, her voice did not betray her sentiments, did not plead him; she arrived with dignity, she would leave with dignity.

'May you live and long a happy life, Captain Norrington. It was both a pleasure and an honour meeting you and serving under your command, sir. Adieu…'

She saluted him, looked at those green eyes one last time, and left the room, followed by Groves and Gillette.

* * *

**NB: I may be wrong of course, but after a bit of research, I didn't find any proof of death penalty for crossdressing. Men and women were sentenced to death if crossdressing was associated with sodomy, or piracy (cf. Anne Bonny and Mary Read). **  
**Crossdressers were thus flogged depending on the degree of cruelty of the authority on board, and/or put in jail, though I don't know for how long, as crossdressing was fairly common apparently.**  
**Btw, the history of women crossdressing during war-time is truly fascinating, I strongly encourage you to look up the wikipedia page and other websites on the subject because it's just mindblowing.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimers: I don't own Potc nor the characters belonging to its franchise.**  
**Thanks everyone!**

* * *

'Take care, Lawrence! Please, promise me you'll write, wherever you are.' Gillette said, hugging his friend one last time.

'Of course Andrew, I will. Take care of yourself and… look after James, also.'

'I will' he nodded, smiling sadly.

'I wish I could have stayed with you longer'

'I know… Now go with Theodore, you must find a new ship. Don't forget to write us!'

Lawrence kissed Andrew's cheek and followed Theodore who was waiting for her on the quay.

Andrew waited till he couldn't see her anymore and went back to his Captain's quarters, his heart heavy. He knocked on the door.

'I do not wish to talk to anyone at the moment, Lieutenant. If it is a matter of emergency, I am sure you will be able to deal with it without any problems.'

Gillette was taken aback by his friend's stern tone and refusal to see him, but knowing better, he did not push further and left him alone.

On the other side of the door, James Norrington was sitting on his bed, staring at the floor. He needed time to process two things, the first one being that Lawrence was actually a woman; and the second being her sentence.

After two hours of talking and mild lies, Lawrence finally found a ship with the help of Theodore. True to his word to his Captain, he had left her alone when she asked the captains of different ships where she was to go. To Theodore, she would embark on board of the _Arcadie_, and that's it, he wouldn't know anything else.

This ship was neither a merchant nor a Navy ship, but the mere whim of a rich French aristocrat who loved to travel at sea on board of his sumptuous vessel. On his board were men as well as women, all of them wearing fancy clothes with ribbons and stuff of the highest quality. The _Arcadie_ was to live in two days, which would give Lawrence some time to get used to the fanciful behaviours of those rich travellers.

'It grieves me terribly to leave you all' she told her friend. 'Please, remember me when I'm gone…'

'How could I ever forget you, Lawrence? You are my friend, and will remain so.' He hugged her tightly. 'Besides, we'll meet again, I'm sure of it' he winked, ineffectively hiding his sadness.

'Take care, Theodore. I'll miss you...'

'I'll miss you too, we'll all miss you. Be careful, and try to behave, alright?'

'I promise' she faintly smiled before kissing his cheek as well and squeezing his hand.

'Farewell my friend!'

'Bye, Theodore.'

He gave her one last smile then turned around to go to the _Dauntless_, anchored at the other side of the harbour.

Lawrence watched him go until she could no longer see. The tears she had managed to hold back so far threatened to flow. The pain of leaving her friends was unbearable, she needed to sit, she needed to find a quiet place and weep till there were no tears left in her; but she didn't have such a luxury. She would be brave one last time and held her head high among the people who had kindly welcomed her on board of their ship. And so she put on once again her armour of steel and came on board of the _Arcadie_.

Captain Combes, the captain of _Arcadie,_ was a man with a big heart; his fortune hadn't given him the pretentiousness of those rich people who believed they were better than anyone else. He had one of those faces that inspired friendship instantly, with his big shinning eyes, his round prominent cheeks, his broad smile. Lawrence felt guilty to lie to such a nice man, but her lie was better than the truth; she had told him that she had missed her ship back in Havana, that the Captain of the _HMS Dauntless_ had kindly agreed to escort her till their next stop so that she may board another ship that would lead her where her family was waiting for her. She also told him that she was dressed with men's clothes because it was better for her safety, which was until recently true. Hearing this, Captain Combes recommended her to his female friends on board, saying that they would take care of her and that she no longer had to worry about anything.

'Hello my dear, I'm Mrs Edith Gaillard' said a middle-aged woman coming to her. 'I'm a friend of Captain Combes. Come, don't stay there, I'll present you to my friends!' The woman was wearing far too much powder and perfume for her age, and the dress she was wearing made her look like a giant pink strawberry. 'What is your name, my dear child?'

'I'm Law- Charlotte, Madam, Charlotte Reynolds.'

For a moment, she had almost forgotten that she wasn't supposed to be Lawrence anymore. But Charlotte was long dead, she _was_ Lawrence, as sick as that may sound. Because, who calls oneself by the name of a dead brother, however dear he might have been? Well, she did. She had promised she would be Lawrence for his memory's sake, and Lawrence she would remain. Since she had taken that name, she had grown so much, she definitely wasn't the same person anymore, and being revealed as a woman wouldn't alter the change she had felt internally. So yes, to others, to the crew of the _Arcadie_, to her remaining family, she would be Charlotte, but deep down, she would be Lawrence, until the end.

Only now did she notice that either the captain or this lady had talked to her in English, despite them being French, and this subtle attention touched her; those people were definitely the salt of the earth.

Mrs Gaillard led her to what looked like a salon, except it was on board of a ship. There, all gave the impression of richness and splendour, especially the women present, who were all wearing too much makeup and dresses of all sorts of colours.

The women presented themselves one after another, and invited Lawrence to join them and tell her "story".

'Oh! The poor little thing!' said one of them, a short one with a massive wig colour lilac.

'Ladies, we were starting to get bored, and now I have found the perfect idea…' said another one, the closest to Lawrence, wearing a tangerine dress. 'Miss Charlotte, how about some new clothes?' She asked eagerly.

Taking her silence for consent, the lady took her hand and led her to the middle of the room.

'Ladies, to our chests!' And then, all Hell broke loose. The cacophony of high-pitched voices, the quantity of stuff brought to her face to see which colour would suit her most, the ribbons, the wigs of any colours, all of this made Lawrence's head spin.

'Oh, to hear the blasts of canons once again' she bitterly thought. 'Fighting for my life sword in hand was far more pleasant than this absolute torture!'

There wasn't much she could do to prevent it, and so she let herself be handled by those women, like a doll.

After what seemed ages, the company of five women stepped back to admire their work, sharing words of appreciation. Lawrence feared the worse, a fuchsia wig with yellow bows in it, a skirt made of peacock feather… She had been so numb during the whole procedure that she really wasn't expecting much.

'Well, go on, look at how beautiful you are!' Edith said, pushing here to the mirror.

Lawrence blinked a few times before being aware that the woman in front of her was herself.

She was wearing a hideous yellow and meringue dress, and a pastel green wig with pink bows in it. She turned round, faked her enthusiasm at such an atrocity and thanked them for their kindness. After all, they did their best judging by what they were wearing themselves, it came from a good intention.

'You truly are gorgeous my dear! Though, a bit more meat on those bones would be preferable. Ah, but we are two weeks from Port Royal, so that will be a good head start.'

At the name of Port Royal, Lawrence crumbled to the ground, half bent over herself and hiding her eyes behind her hands. The straight face she had kept so far, since she had entered James' quarters to hear her sentence, had fallen. All the pain she had pushed aside came forth and submerged her; James's shocked reaction when he had discovered her true nature back in the streets, his icy cold and all too formal goodbyes, her pain of leaving him and her friends Theodore and Andrew, her new condition as a woman and all the formalities that ensued, and now those ladies who were stifling her despite their good nature.

The little feminine assembly was confused by such a reaction, obviously not expecting their young companion to breakdown at such a moment.

'There, there my dear, let it all out, that's it' said Edith, hugging as best she could considering the large skirts she and her new friend were wearing. 'It's only her nerves, ladies, the emotion of missing her first ship and finally returning to her family. It's all right my dear, we understand. Here, we'll show you to your room if you want!'

Lawrence hated herself for breaking down in front of them, for breaking down at all in fact. She thought she could endure everything blow after blow, but there's only so much a heart can bear, and her heart was effectively broken.

Two of the ladies and Edith led her to what would be her room during the journey. Though the dimensions were approximately similar to the one she had back on the _Dauntless_, she was surprised by how different it looked thanks to the rich tapestries and delicate pieces of furniture.

'We'll be in the _boudoir_ if you need anything, my dear child. Now rest for a bit and come join us whenever you want.'

Lawrence thanked them between her tears and sat heavily on her bed, looking at her surroundings as in a dream, wishing the colourful walls were but mere wooden planks, the furniture a simple chair and a table, her bedding made of rough linen, and Captain Norrington's quarters only a couple of steps away.

On board of the _Dauntless_, the atmosphere was tense; the members of the crew were sad to have lost a friend and fellow mate, no matter what her sex was, Theodore and Andrew felt miserable, and as for James Norrington, anger and coldness had taken over his senses.

He went to the top deck and announced to the man currently at the helm that they would be leaving with the next tide as all men were already on board. 'All but one' he thought. 'Lawrence wasn't even a man, he-she doesn't count anymore.'

The Lieutenants Gillette and Groves waited for a good opportunity to talk to their friend, but this opportunity never showed up until they had reached the high sea.

'James…' ventured Theodore when he saw his friend lost in his thoughts, watching the shore becoming but a spot on the horizon.

Norrington grumbled.

'Listen, we…'

'I don't want to talk about any of it.'

'But we have to. She is our friend!'

'She betrayed my trust by hiding such a thing to me. I don't want to hear about her, not now, not tomorrow, _never_, is that understood, Lieutenant Groves?'

Theodore sighed and reluctantly nodded.

'If you need…'

'I won't need anything, thank you.'

Seeing how hopeless this was, Theodore left him to join Andrew who was on the main deck.

'So?' asked his friend, 'how did it go?'

Theodore shook his head, his brow furrowed.

'His pain is too raw, we won't have anything from him for a while.'

'I see… Then again, it's only logical. After all, the bond he shared with her was stronger than what _we_ had with her…'

'I'm not sure he realises yet that that was love.'

'Oh, I do think he's starting to…'


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimers: POTC isn't mine, nor Norrington and the other characters belonging to this franchise.**  
**A big thank you to all my readers!**

* * *

Her transition from being a "male" officer of the Navy to a young woman returning to her closest family happened through a great amount of tears shed day and night.

She didn't leave her room, not even when the ship finally weighed anchor three days after her arrival on board. The kind ladies came in turns to see how she felt and to bring her some food that she barely touched.

She'd never thought anything would grieve her that much after the loss of her brother, and yet, it did. 'I wasn't even supposed to have that first chance of sailing the sea, let alone on board of a Navy vessel and becoming an officer. I should be grateful for those moments; it had to end eventually, I should have known… But I had never counted on having such great friends.' She smiled sadly at the thought of Simon, sweet Simon who had died too early. He had been such a great friend.

'And now I've even lost Andrew and Theodore… I promised to write to them though, so there's still a bit of hope that one day we may see each other again, as Theodore firmly believes. But everything would be so different, they would be returning from great journeys at sea, saving ships from pirates, representing His Majesty in faraway cities, and I, I'd be a proper lady, spending my days in a drawing room, having hollow conversations with shallow women… Maybe I'd even be married!' she realised with shock. 'I could never marry anyone. Not when… Oh God, what if my affection for James isn't just a mere fancy but, what if I truly

Am in love with him?'

She rose from her bed and started pacing her small room.

'Can you love someone else when your truest love is at sea? I will live with the heart filled with the image of a ghost, as I will probably never see him again. I have betrayed his trust and our friendship, how could he ever face me again if we had the occasion? He would probably ignore me, and this would break my heart even more than not seeing him.'

She closed her eyes, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. 'I never got the chance of apologising, and he will never know how much his friendship represented to me.'

When she opened her eyes again, her mind was settled. After days of hating herself for crying and lamenting her fate, she decided to get the upper hand over her grief.

'I have to let you go, James. I won't be able to live if I don't let go of my love for you… If we are meant to meet again, then I'll make it up to you; if not… well, I truly hope you will live a happy life with Miss Swann.'

She dried her tears, washed her face, and put on some hideous clothes to please her hosts; she had chosen life over sorrow.

Miles ahead, the general mood in the Captain's quarters weren't as optimistic. James Norrington, after days of brooding, had finally agreed to talk to his friends about the recent events once their dinner was over.

'Actually, I do feel quite relieved to know that Lawrence was a woman' James confessed. 'It clarifies a few things.'

Theodore eyed Andrew, trying his best not to smile too widely at his friend's half confession.

'Clarifies a few things, you say?'

'Well, his-her frailer built for example, and her voice, her knowledge, though that doesn't explain her skill with a sword nor all she knows about warfare…'

'Yes, that too, but also her more delicate face' said Andrew, waiting anxiously for his Captain's answer to that last point.

James frowned at his friend's remark and thought for a few seconds before replying.

'I do admit she has a pretty face and fair eyes. But that is beside the point.'

'Do you miss her?' dared Theodore; he was determined to have his friend confess everything.

'Of course I do, she was a dear friend' he finally said after a moment.

'Oh James, even you have to admit, she was more than a friend…'

'What do you mean, "more than a friend"?' asked Norrington, confused.

Andrew rolled his eyes; his Captain usually was the most astute observer he had ever met, but when it came to feeling, or more precisely, to Lawrence, he was blind and naïve.

'Were the situation different, would you consider marrying her, given all know about her, her loyalty to you? For Heaven's sake, she even looked after you day and night during the whole time of your recovery, and when you were well enough, you never left the other's side… Don't tell me it was mere friendship, not even Theodore nor myself were that present beside you! And we've known you for years when you've known her for barely eight months!'

James opened his mouth then closed it. Such an idea was preposterous, and only now did he realized for how little time he had known her. He thought he had known her years, and had spent almost as much time with her than with Andrew and Theodore. How could it be possible to grow that fond of someone in so little time? James Norrington, with his logical mind, wasn't one to believe in such things as soul mates, so this whole new vision of what he felt confused him deeply.

Seeing that they would get no answer from him tonight, Theodore decided to retire for the night and Andrew left to take his shift at the helm, leaving their friends to his thoughts.

A couple of hours later, when he climbed down the steps of the top deck to go to sleep at the end of his shift, Lieutenant Gillette was surprised to find his Captain on the main deck, leaning over the ridge, contemplating the stars and the dark silk of the sea. He hesitated for a moment then decided to join him for a while, caring not to disturb the silence.

'I do think my feelings for Lawrence _are_ stronger than friendship' James said several minutes later, still watching ahead.

'And indeed, I would have married her had the whole situation been different.'

Andrew was relieved to finally hear those words, but at the same time, he felt a pang of sympathy for his friend.

'Do you forgive her? For hiding the truth…'

'Yes' he said, his voice heavy with regrets. 'It was necessary for her safety, even by concealing from her Captain. Many would have taken advantage of such a situation.'

'You wouldn't have.'

'No' James half-smiled 'But she couldn't take that risk anyway, despite our friendship, and I admire her all the more for that.'

Gillette nodded in agreement, then realised something. He searched his pockets until he found what he was looking for.

'Here' he said, putting Lawrence's black ribbon in his left hand. 'It had fallen off her hair during her altercation with that awful Frenchman. Take it, it's no use to me.'

His eyebrow knitted, he finally looked away from the sea to look at what his friend had given him. He knew it was ridiculous, but he sincerely appreciated Andrew's attention.

'Thank you, Andrew. Maybe one day I will have the occasion of returning it to her…'

Lieutenant Gillette smiled, and headed to his quarters.

'Try to get some rest, James.'

Norrington nodded and stared at the ribbon, he shaped it into a bow and held it in his hand, remembering its owner's shimmering blue-grey eyes and warm smile.

The days passed, and finally, the _Dauntless_ was but two days away from Port Royal. Most of the thoughts of the officers on board had turned around the same subject, Lawrence; however, the closer the got, the more a feeling of unease settled, and none of them dared to say out loud what troubled them. But time was running short, and it had to be discussed.

'James, I need to ask… months ago, did you really talked about, err, your plans of marrying Miss Swann to her father?' Theodore asked hesitantly.

'I did indeed…' Norrington answered with difficulty.

'But didn't you say before that you would ask her father again once back in Port Royal?'

His friend silently answered positively.

'Then maybe there is still a chance, and you won't have to marry her! Unless you do want to marry her…'

'I shall be true to my word, no matter how things have changed since then. If Governor Swann wants me to marry his daughter, I will marry her. Which man wouldn't kill to be in my position? Miss Swann is an accomplished lady of high birth whose beauty is unanimously praised.'

'But James, you don't even know her yet, how could you love her, after…'

Norrington cut his sentence before Andrew had finished.

'It would be very ungrateful of me to refuse such a match. As for love, it will eventually come, and if not, many a wedding have been a great success without involving love.'

'And what about Lawrence!' Groves couldn't take it anymore, his friend's stubbornness, and his careful avoidance of talking about her was too much. Norrington glared at his friend, his jaw clenched.

'There is nothing to say about Lawrence. The feelings I felt towards her when she was still on board were maybe love, but _I_ have cast her out and left her to return to her family. And I even took the precaution of not knowing where she was to go. Plus, her feelings were probably very different from mine, no please let me finish. And if they were not, I'm sure her opinion of me has changed after the coldness of our last encounter. And besides, I highly doubt we will ever meet again, and if we did, she would certainly be married to a rich aristocrat and I to Miss Swann. Now please, if you do care about me, my friends, please, let this be the last time we mention her. I consider ourselves blessed to have had such a friend, if only for a while, but now it is over, the past is in the past.'

It pained him to say those words, but he had to, for his own sake; he was James Norrington, Captain of the HMS _Dauntless_, and the memory of a girl wouldn't bring him down.

When the Navy ship entered the harbour, all the members of the crew were cheering and eagerly waving to anyone who was waiting for them, even Lieutenant Groves and Lieutenant Gillette were excited to have finally arrived. Their Captain smiled faintly at the enthusiasm around him, his hands clasped behind his back, the outer one clenching a black bow.

The ship safely anchored, all men disembarked to join wherever they were needed. Some went back home with their wife and children, others went together celebrate their safe return in a tavern, Lieutenant Groves went to visit his family, and as for Lieutenant Gillette and Captain Norrington, they went straightaway report their journey to the town hall where they would find Governor Weatherby Swann.

The Governor was overly pleased to see Captain Norrington, and invited him for dinner the very night along with his officer friends if they wished to join them. Lieutenant Gillette accepted the kind offer, curious to witness his friend's behaviour in presence of the Governor's daughter.

Norrington went here and there to make his reports on the journey, the towns and people they had visited, the troubles they had encountered, the losses… Although renowned for his sense of justice and righteousness, he surprised himself by lying about their latest crew member and newly appointed officer, Ensign Reynolds. He hid from the authorities that his Ensign had in fact been a woman running away from her home under the identity of her dead brother. He never said a thing about the misadventure with Governor Duplessier, and reported that his Ensign had left them in Santiago de Cuba to join a family member who was ill. He knew what his lies could cost him, but he nonetheless took the risk, his lost friend deserved it.

* * *

**NB: Damn, I've just noticed something and now it troubles me, but anyway, I'm gonna ignore it... For the first time ever I'd say, I went to the wikipedia page of James Norrington and... His father is called _Lawrence_! Had I known before, maybe I would have changed the name of my character (but I love this name way too much, and in French Laurence is a girl's name). **

**So no worries if there are among you some purists, Admiral Lawrence Norrington won't exist in my story. Unless Lawrence Reynolds marries James, but anyway, she certainly won't ever be Admiral, so...**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimers: I do NOT own POTC, Norrington, etc.**

**Thank you to all my readers, you're the best!**

**NB: To reply to one of the comments, I do realize that Theodore and Andrew are really _too_ familiar with their Captain, but I didn't like the idea of keeping the characters distant from one another because of their ranks, where would the fun be in that! But thanks for pointing it out, indeed I have thought about it but chose to ignore that detail for the sake of a friendship at sea.**

* * *

Lieutenant Gillette had to admit, Miss Elizabeth Swann really lived up to her reputation; she truly was stunning with her chocolate brown eyes, her dark blonde hair, her slender built. Now that he came to think of it, there was something in Miss Swann that reminded him of Lawrence; both were rather tall and slender, both had blonde hair, though Lawrence was of a lighter shade due to the sun exposure and the salt sea. But apart from that, they didn't really look the same, though Andrew had to admit, he was incapable of saying who looked prettier than the other.

He noticed that his friend was stiffer than ever in the company of the Governor and his daughter. After a lot of small talk, Miss Swann excused herself from the table, feeling unwell. Governor Swann was sorry to her leave that early and justified her behaviour by her young age and her being a woman, as apparently it seemed natural to him that women behaved in such a way due to their humours and other headaches.

Norrington didn't say anything about this last comment, except that he was sorry to know that she felt unwell. Internally, he was genuinely amazed by how different she was from Lawrence. Miss Swann looked like a spoiled delicate child used to stay indoors and feeling unwell out of boredom, whereas Lawrence never complained about anything and adapted to any situation given to her, from a nasty cut in the hand to the handling of the whole medicine quarters in a time of rush to a dinner with one of the most disgusting man he had ever met.

He admonished himself, thinking in such a way wasn't helping his case in favour of marrying Miss Swann at all. And yet, Elizabeth had once seemed of the adventurous type, when she was but a child of ten. Though he had been but a Lieutenant, he had escorted her and father to Port Royal; she had been very interested in pirates back then. Maybe her upbringing had tamed the wildness she could have had.

After much small talk, the Governor announced proudly the promotion of James Norrington as a Commodore. James was greatly surprised at the news and thanked him gratefully. The ceremony was to be held in a month, if he didn't see any inconvenience to it. That way, Norrington would have time to rest from his long journey and the ceremony wouldn't be rushed.

'Maybe you should seize this opportunity to propose to my daughter… I do believe this would be the perfect occasion!'

Norrington wasn't expecting such a turn in the conversation, so much so that he choked on his wine. Was the Governor promoting him only to assure the wedding of his daughter? He felt manipulated but couldn't do anything about it.

'I wouldn't have thought of a better idea myself' he said, trying his best to appear delighted.

'Good then, I am so glad. I cannot wait to welcome you in my family, _Commodore_' Mr Swann said, chuckling and visibly as happy as he said he was.

His house feeling too empty and foreign after being almost a year at sea, Norrington had invited Gillette and Groves to stay over for as long as they wished. Groves was awaiting his friends in the parlour, anxious to know how it went, and he wasn't disappointed by their reports.

'So, you will propose to her, then? Next month?' Theodore said, incredulously.

Norrington answered by the affirmative, unconsciously fiddling with the black bow he had taken out of his pocket.

As for Lawrence, she was obviously unaware of the events of the day. Her days were spent in the calmest way possible, chatting with the ladies of the _Arcadie_, and daydreaming about her friends. 'At least I have the sea' she thought. 'And yet, how can it seem so different to me now? Why should the absence of James change the aspect of the sea to my eyes? It doesn't make any sense…' She sighed. Her good resolution about letting go of James' memory had obviously been vain. 'At least, we are getting closer to Port Royal, and in a few days I will finally walk the same earth as he does.' Startled by the romantic turn of her ideas, she admonished herself; those French ladies and boredom definitely had a very bad influence on her spirits.

Then, the day finally came when the _Arcadie_ laid anchor in Port Royal. Lawrence stomach was in knots; what would she do if she met James before she met her cousin?

Fortunately, this situation never got the chance to happen as she heard her name shouted from the docks.

She turned round and saw her cousin Isabella waving at her, she was waiting for her with Mr Harrington, her father.

'Come, let's not wait any longer here, mama's waiting for us at home!' Her cousin said eagerly.

Lawrence waved back at her, already annoyed to be swept away that soon but happy to see familiar faces.

'Just a minute, let me thank my friends and say good bye. I won't be long.'

You couldn't say she was happy to leave the French people who had escorted her, for they were nice people, but their eccentricities were a bit too much to bear in the long run; nonetheless, they had all been very kind to her, and for that, she was sad to part with them in such a hurried manner. The ladies tear up and promised to write to her. She thanked them and promised to come visit them if she ever went to New Orleans, where they resided.

When she reached her cousin's carriage, Isabella hugged her warmly and kissed her on both cheeks, and so did her uncle.

'At last you're here!' her cousin said. 'I am so relieved to see you. We didn't know when your ship would arrive so we've waited for you yesterday too. Are you well? You look so different from the last time I saw you. But come, come, we'll talk about all this on the road.'

Isabella Harrington was a lively young lady of a year older than Lawrence; she was the only child of Mr and Mrs Harrington, and so was spoiled beyond compare, but her generosity was unmarred by her wealth. Though her complexion was plain, with mousy hair and hazel eyes and short of height, her enthusiasm gave her a sort of aura that drew people to her.

'Oh look at you, Charlotte, your skin is so tanned and you've lost so much weight. Was French food not to your taste?' Isabella laughed. 'Anyway, since the letter I received from you telling me of your situation, I couldn't help but count the days and talk about you to my friends. Isn't it right, Papa?'

'Yes, yes it couldn't be more accurate' chuckled Mr Harrington. 'I was sorry to hear about your situation Charlotte. Of course you are at home with us and can stay as long as you wish and find a suitable match. There are a lot of fine gentlemen in the area, I am sure you will have a lot of suitors.'

Lawrence gave him a fake smile. 'Of course the gentlemen here are fine, and the only one I care about is already spoken for…' she thought with irony.

'I can't wait to show you around, and you know what? There will be a ball at the Lindons this Thursday isn't it exciting? Apparently Catherine Lindon has asked her father to organize one because a ship of the Navy has recently arrived and she's been told the officers on board are so handsome. I bet she already sees herself married to one, though not the Captain, as everybody knows he only has eyes for Lizzie. Oh, imagine if you get to catch the eye of one of them!'

At those words, Lawrence turned white as a sheet. 'Of course James, Andrew, and Theodore would be at that ball; of course James only has eyes for Miss Swann… I hadn't planned on us to meet again, or at least that soon, and at a ball. I will ruin everything, there will be a scene and…'

'Charlotte dear, are you alright? You look so pale!' Mr Harrington cut her in her thoughts.

'It-it's nothing, uncle. I'm not used to being in carriage after months on sea…'

'Ah yes of course. Well, I'm sure you will be right as rain now that you're back on earth and with a loving family.'

'I agree, and you won't have time to be bored here, you can count on me' added Isabelle with a lot of enthusiasm.

The Harringtons lived on the outskirts of Kingston, at about half an hour from the harbour, in a large house too big for Isabella and her parents. After a warm welcome, Lawrence was shown to her room; for a moment, she had almost forgotten what it was like to have a place of one's own that huge; it was at least the size of the Captain's quarters, she thought but then shook her head to get rid of that comparison.

Mrs Harrington was very caring and looked after her as though she were her own daughter; she gave her new dresses and ribbons and everything a proper lady of twenty should have.

There wasn't a moment of the day when Isabelle wasn't by Lawrence's side; the first days she showed her the house and its gardens telling her the most recent gossip about people Lawrence had never heard about, except for Miss Elizabeth Swann. From what she gathered, Isabelle and Elizabeth weren't what you may call best friends, but they were nonetheless quite close to each other.

It had only been three days and Lawrence was already bored to death; she had never thought she would be drawing or embroidering again, and yet, there she was, listening to the ceaseless chatter of her cousin and spending her days like a proper young lady, much to her displeasure.

Thursday came quicker than expected; Isabelle was impossible to live with; she took under her responsibility to make Lawrence the most presentable as she could, and that meant, powdering her skin to make her look paler, curling her hair, and... forcing her to wear a corset and a long gown.

Lawrence hadn't worn such a paraphernalia for ages, and she wasn't about to give in now; even the French ladies had been kind enough to dress her without a corset.

'Charlotte, I honestly think no man will be able to resist you tonight!'

The torture being over, she looked at herself in the mirror and gave a genuine smile to her cousin. She did look beautiful, though so different from Lawrence. The woman standing in the mirror had nothing of Lawrence; her hair was nicely curled and tumbling over her shoulders, her skin was white as porcelain, bringing out her eyes all the more; as for her dress, it was made of pale blue and cream white, with dark blue ribbons on the front; even though she had gained weight since the first day she had climbed on board of the _Arcadie_, she had still a pretty slim waist, but her shoulders and arms had lost the muscles they had gained after the many hours spent on board of either the _Daisy of the Sea _or the _Dauntless_. Luckily for her, those muscles weren't visible with such a dress, and her slim waist was to her advantage, especially with the corset.

'This dress is beautiful, thank you Isabelle.'

'You look beautiful my dear cousin, and to be honest, I wouldn't have recognized you had I met you by chance.' 'Well, I wouldn't have recognized me either…' Lawrence thought. 'Which may be a good thing, that way, if James or Theodore or Andrew saw me, they wouldn't recognise me either.'


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimers: I don't own POTC etc etc**

**Huge thank you to my beautiful readers, you really are awesome. Thank you!**

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There wasn't enough room for all the people invited at Catherine Lindon's ball; the rooms were over-crowded for it was raining outside and everybody had gathered up inside.

Lawrence was very ill-at-ease in such an environment, there were mindless chatter and gossip everywhere, elegant dresses and uniforms of the Army and the Navy everywhere. She hated being trapped in that dress in which she could barely breathe, hated being shown around from that friend of Isabella to another.

'Ah, I've finally spotted Lizzie! Come, let's go see her' her cousin said, pulling her by the arm and elbowing her way through the crowd.

At the middle of the room, many men in uniform were gathered, talking about their recent expeditions, be it on land or on sea, and about prospective match. Among those men were Captain James Norrington, Lieutenant Theodore Groves, and Lieutenant Andrew Gillette. When they first got invited, Norrington was inclined to refuse, but Andrew was so eager to assist that he couldn't make this affront to his friend.

'And to that, James replied…' Theodore said, turning to his friend to let him say himself the end of the sentence, but Norrington wasn't listening. He was staring at an empty spot, his face slightly whiter than before and tighter.

Theodore gently shook him by the elbow to wake him out of his reverie.

'Sorry, yes… I-I believe I don't remember what I said to this man. If you would excuse me…' Norrington said, bowing and beckoning his friends to follow his to the window.

'James, what is it? Are you well?' Andrew asked him in a hushed voice.

'I saw her.'

'Who?' said Theodore, his eyebrow knitted.

'Lawrence…'

Groves and Gillette looked at each other, quite surprised, then at their friend.

'Who don't make any sense James. She can't be here, in this room, let alone in Port Royal' Gillette said, looking behind his back anyway.

'I never thought you'd miss her as much as to see her ghost' said Theodore, worried. 'But trust me, she can't be here. It must have been someone who reminded you of her, that the only plausible reason.'

Norrington nodded and straightened himself.

'Yes, you are both right. I'm sorry, I think the heat has troubled my senses for a moment.'

Groves gave a gentle smack on his back.

'It's alright. We miss her too you know.'

Norrington squeezed without even noticing the black bow he always carried with him, and which was at the moment in his pocket.

'Lizzie, may I present to you Miss Charlotte Reynolds. Charlotte, Miss Elizabeth Swann.' Isabella was beaming.

'I am very pleased to meet you at last, Miss Swann' Lawrence said with her best fake smile.

'Please, do call me Elizabeth! And… what do you mean at last?' Elizabeth was very charming and by far the handsomest lady present. Her elegance and natural charm were breath-taking, especially with the ivory and red dress she was wearing. 'Yes', Lawrence thought bitterly, 'Miss Swann and James Norrington will have the most beautiful children there ever were. Now I understand why he spoke so dreamily about her back on the _Dauntless_, she truly is gorgeous.'

'I… Well, Isabella kept talking about you, even in her letters when I was in Charleston' she half lied.

'Ah, you're that cousin! I am most glad to make your acquaintance.'

For a good part of the evening, Elizabeth, Isabella, and Lawrence were chatting together, about many things fashionable and commenting on some lady's dress or that gentleman passing by.

All in all, Lawrence ended up liking Elizabeth very much, especially since her company was much less boring than the other ladies they had been with at first, and also because she _never_ spoke of a certain Captain Norrington, which in itself seemed rather strange to Lawrence, though she was most grateful.

The dances starting in the next room, Elizabeth followed some of her other friends.

'We must talk again, Charlotte. And please, do come and visit with Isabella, I'd be delighted to spend an afternoon with you both.'

'I look forward to it, Miss Sw- Elizabeth!' Lawrence said truthfully. She wasn't of the jealous type, so why should she be deprived of a good friendship for the sake of a stupid competition in the heart of a certain gentleman.

Isabella wished to wait another dance or two before joining Elizabeth and the other dancers in the next room, so she waited with her cousin where they were, the room being less crowded than before.

'I believe we haven't been presented' said a tall gentleman with blond hair and a slightly upturned nose. He looked fairly young, about thirty, and was wearing a white jacket with red cuffs. Judging by his accent, he must have been from Prussia. 'I am Captain Wilhelm Krupke.' He bowed.

'It is a pleasure to meet you, Captain Krupke. I am Charlotte Reynolds, and her is my dear cousin Isabella Harrington.'

'It's a pleasure to meet you both.' He bowed again then looked his eyes on Lawrence's. 'May I have this dance, Miss Reynolds?' he said, offering her his hand.

'I'd be delighted, Captain Krupke.' Without thinking twice, she took his hand and followed him to the next room.

She had to admit, this man _was_ handsome, with his accent and his nose that gave him a unique look. Why should she let this distraction pass over her? '_And anyway, I'm sure neither James, Theodore, or Andrew are here; I would have seen them by now._'

When the dance was over, Lawrence and Captain Krupke went to a quieter corner of the room to become more acquainted. Being in his company was very pleasant, and though they had not much in common, she rather enjoyed discussing with him.

'I hope to see you again soon, Miss Reynolds' Captain Krupke said when Lawrence told him she should join her cousin now.

'So do I. It was a pleasure to meet you, Captain Krupke.'

'And I, you' he said, bowing.

Isabella and Lawrence went home soon after, Isabella mostly gossiping about what she heard this evening, then she remembered and turned to her cousin, beaming.

'You didn't tell me! What do you think of that German officer? Isn't he handsome? Do you think he'll propose to you soon?'

'Isabella, no! I mean, it was just a dance… And yes, I think he isn't too bad indeed.'

'Oh, you are so picky dear Charlotte! I envy you so much, your first ball in Port Royal and already an officer is interested in you' she said, dreamily. 'He is staying for long? That would give him time to know you a bit more before proposing.'

'I-I don't really know' Lawrence said, her brow furrowed. 'Why do you keep talking about a wedding? Marrying him isn't in my intentions; I wouldn't dream of being married anytime soon.'

'Well, I think you're a fool then. It's not as if someone was already waiting for you somewhere. This could be a beautiful match, you know. I wouldn't hesitate if I were you' Isabella replied, still unbelieving how stubborn her cousin was.

Lawrence's jaw dropped. Captain Krupke merely had a dance with her, that didn't mean he was considering marrying her, and she wouldn't accept it anyway. But then again, her cousin had a point, maybe he was indeed a fine match, and if he proposed, she should accept him; after all, she would have a nice situation, and she wouldn't be a burden to her family for too long. Besides, nobody was waiting for her indeed.

She promised her cousin to think about it then they changed the subject.

The following days were spent as usual, between walking in the gardens when the weather was good enough, reading, doing some embroidery, playing the piano, and visiting friends.

Lawrence was growing restless; she hated being so inactive, she longed to be on sea again and to hold a sword, but instead, she had to talk about things she couldn't care less about.

On several occasions, she had the pleasure to be in Elizabeth's company. She was really glad to have changed her former opinion of her; there was something about Elizabeth that reminded her of a trapped cat, some kind of wildness that she could understand. But they weren't close enough, so Lawrence didn't know how far this wildness reached.

One day, Lawrence went with Isabella to Port Royal to buy some new ribbons. As they were chatting mindlessly, Lawrence stopped in the middle of what she was saying. There, with other officials of the city and Captain Krupke, was Lieutenant Gillette. Fortunately, his back was turned, so he couldn't see her.

_'Andrew! Should I go see him? No, that wouldn't do, why would I know him? And besides, it would be very embarrassing for both of us. Oh but I missed him so, he's my friend… I should go. But then, what will he tell James? I don't want James to know that I'm here, not yet, it's too soon, he w-_' she was cut in her train of thoughts by Wilhelm Krupke approaching her.

She hadn't thought much about him since the evening they met, and she had almost forgotten him when she had seen Andrew.

'What a pleasant surprise to see you here, Miss Reynolds! Miss Harrington, how do you do?' he smiled at them and bowed.

'I was just thinking about how unfortunate it was that we never got the occasion to see each other after the ball… Will I see you both tomorrow at Miss Juliet Bloomfield?'

'Of course you will! We wouldn't miss this' Isabella replied enthusiastically for Lawrence.

'I'm looking forward t-'

But Lawrence wasn't listening anymore, she kept thinking about Andrew and whether she should meet him or not.

'… Don't you agree, Miss Reynolds?'

Coming down to earth at the sound of her name, she shook her head.

'Yes, yes, absolutely.'

She didn't know to what she had replied, but she wasn't expecting to see him smile so brightly. Maybe she should have asked…

'I am overjoyed to hear you say so! Ladies, I apologize, but I believe I must leave you now. Men's boring business. Have a nice day.' He bowed and kissed Lawrence's hand before leaving.

When he was gone, Lawrence turned round and started walking the other way; her cousin sped up to join her.

'Oh Charlotte, look at you, you're blushing! I never thought you liked him that much. Trust my instincts, he will propose to you very soon, I'm sure of it!'

If Isabella was all joy and beautiful prospects of life, Lawrence was at the strict opposite of the spectrum of emotions; she felt so embarrassed, one minute she was thinking about Andrew, the other a man she barely knew kissed her hand and was beaming at her.

She spent the whole day thinking about what she might have agreed to, and why this German officer was so persistent. Part of her question was answered the next day at Miss Bloomfield's.

Not half an hour after their arrival, Lawrence found herself talking face to face with Captain Krupke. By the end of the afternoon, the two of them had discussed many trivial things, such as their hobbies and passions, Lawrence realized he was as shallow as she pretended to be, though to her defence, _she_ was pretending to be that boring, whereas he wasn't. He had told her almost everything about his family, that he was the first son of a very wealthy family, and had planned to settle for a bit after many years on campaigns. She dreaded the conversation to end on the proposal her cousin had foreseen, but to her relief, it never came.

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**This chapter is pretty boring, but still necessary to keep things real.**

**Next week, we're stepping right into the Curse of the Black Pearl, be prepared!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimers: Potc and all the characters and pieces of dialogue belonging to this franchise are rightfully not mine!**

**As usual, thanks a lot y'all.**

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Then at last the big day arrived; Norrington almost wished he hadn't been promoted if only to escape a hasty proposal, but then again, being Commodore would definitely be a milestone in his military career, the beginning of a new life, so he why not radically change his sentimental life at the same time and become an engaged man.

He conscientiously prepared himself, putting on his best clothes and tied his hair with Lawrence's ribbon, as though it were a luck charm, before wearing his wig.

When he came downstairs, Gillette and Groves were already waiting for him.

'I wish Lawrence was here to see how dashing he looks…' whispered Theodore to his friend.

'She would have found the just word to make him relax before the ceremony.'

It was a stifling hot day, and the said ceremony was taking place on the parade-ground of the inner citadel; two dozens of soldiers were marching accompanied by the music played by the Navy orchestra, the crew of the _Dauntless_, Lieutenant Gillette and Lieutenant Groves, were also present, wearing their best clothes, and on both sides many gentlemen and ladies of the city were fanning themselves; Elizabeth Swann was among them; she wished that her friends Isabella and Charlotte were with her, but unfortunately, Isabella was sick in bed and her cousin refused to leave her side until full recovery.

The Governor, other officials of the city were attending the ceremony under a porch.

'Prepare arms!'

At his queue, Norrington advanced under a corridor of raised bayonets, his back straight and hands clasped behind his back.

The Governor presented him a beautifully crafted sword, which handle was decorated with gold filigree, symbol of his promotion as a Commodore. From afar, Andrew and Theodore felt very proud of their friend, barely fourteen years after his enrolment in the Navy, James Norrington seemed to be one of the youngest Commodores of His Majesty's fleet.

When the ceremony was over, many people went to congratulate him personally. Andrew and Theodore were at their friend's side when the Governor asked:

'Doesn't Lizzie look lovely today?'

Norrington followed the direction the man pointed at. Miss Swann did look lovely indeed, with her cream and gold dress and her dark blonde hair fashionably curled, framing perfectly her angular face.

'Yes, she does. I have never set eyes on someone as elegant as she is' which was true, to a certain extent.

'If you would excuse me, I believe there is something I must do' Norrington said, bowing, before he went towards Miss Swann, who was fanning herself at the edge of the top court of the citadel, watching the ships anchored at the shores.

'This is it' whispered Lieutenant Groves to his friend Andrew. 'The long-awaited proposal'

'Do you think he's made his peace with the idea? I mean, she isn't exactly …'

'Yes, I believe so. I bet you two shillings that she'll cry of joy.'

'Alright' laughed Gillette before frowning. 'She isn't who I had dreamed for him though.'

His friend shrugged. 'Well, there is nothing to be done about it. I hope he'll be happy with her, that's all I want.'

'Elizabeth!' Norrington screamed, getting rid of his coat and ready to jump off the dangerously rocky cliff.

At this sight, the two Lieutenants ran to restrain him.

'James, no!'

'What happened?'

'She… fell off, or fainted' he said, shocked.

'It's a miracle she hasn't hit the rocks' Andrew said, looking with horror at the troubled sea beneath them.

The three of them, accompanied by many other men and Governor Swann ran down the many stairs and paths leading to the shores. As they ran, the weather had drastically changed, the wind had risen, fog was arising.

When they'd gotten closer, James saw a rather shabby-looking man, with dreadlocks and beads in his hair and beard, over Elizabeth's form. The man had obviously ripped her dress off and he was now getting rid of her corset; from this angle, his intentions could only be obscene and punishable by death.

'How dares he!' Norrington muttered, his teeth clenched, his anger and disgust clearly showing. He sped up, leaving the others behind him.

As silently as he could, he approached the man to put his sharp sword under the felon's neck.

'On your feet' he said, threatening him.

The man rose cautiously, raising his hands, as the other men and Governor Swann tended to Elizabeth, who was out of breath and drenched to the bone, her undershirt clinging to her slim body.

However bad it looked, this man did save Miss Swann's life, and for that, Norrington was truly grateful, so he extended his hand.

'I believe thanks are in order' he said, before gripping the man's hand and tearing his sleeve, revealing the letter P branded his in flesh.

'Had a brush-up with the East India Trading Company, did you, pirate?'

At his words, all the men were aiming their pistols upon the man, Gillette bringing forth shackles.

'Well, well... Jack Sparrow, isn't it?' Norrington continued when he saw the tattoo on the pirate's sleeve.'Captain Jack Sparrow. If you please.''I don't see your ship… Captain.''He said he'd come to commandeer one' one of the two guards said.'I told you he was telling the truth. These are his, sir' the other guard said, holding out Sparrow's belongings. 'Extra powder, but no additional shot' Norrington said, examining the pirate's pistol. He was as disconcerted by his compass.'It doesn't bear true.' What kind of pirate was that one, especially if he indeed intended to steal one of the ships anchored. He didn't know what else to expect from him when he unsheathed Sparrow's sword. 'I half-expected it to be made of wood… So, taking stock: you've got a pistol with only one shot, a compass that doesn't point north ... and no ship. You are without a doubt the worst pirate I have ever heard of.' This pirate was definitely a joke.'Ah, but you have heard of me' Sparrow replied, proudly. James rolled his eyes as Andrew approached, shackles in hands, Captain Sparrow.'Carefully, Lieutenant' Norrington said, fearing the pirate might took off at any moment, which he would certainly do at one point, considering the kind of man he was. Elizabeth stepped forward, letting her father's jacket slip off her shoulders, unconcerned by her almost nudity.'Commodore, I must protest. Pirate or not, this man saved my life' she said boldly, defying him.Nearby, Theodore raised an eyebrow at the whole situation, waiting to see how his friend would react. 'One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness' Norrington said wearily. First she wasn't as enthusiastic as she should have been at his proposal, then she defends that pirate. He was more and more surprised by her, perhaps he had got her wrong after all, perhaps she wasn't as dull as he thought she were. 'But it seems to be enough to condemn him' Jack Sparrow said, cuffed.'Indeed' James replied, giving him a brief smile before giving the order to his men to seize the man.'Finally!' Jack said, taking Elizabeth as a hostage, his chain wrapped around her throat, using her as a shield.Norrington instantly signaled his men not to shoot. About to escape, Sparrow asked for his belongings, knowing his leverage on the recently appointed Commodore. Fearing that Miss Swann might be hurt, Norrington reluctantly agreed. 'Elizabeth… It is Elizabeth?' Sparrow asked'Miss Swann!' she replied angrily.'Miss Swann, if you'll be so kind?'Reluctantly, she took his belongings off Norrington's hands, and put his belt on him.'You are despicable!''I saved your life; now you've saved mine. We're square.' He backed up then said:'Gentlemen ... m'lady ... you will always remember this as the day you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow.' Shoving Elizabeth, he grabbed a rope and, lifted mid-air, swung around the gantry under the fires of several pistols. Norrington carefully followed the pirate's trajectory, his gun pointed at him, until he finally fired at the exact same moment Sparrow dropped from the rope.The pirate escaped them swiftly, sliding down a line to land on a ship then running off out of sight. 'On his heels! Gillette, bring a squad down from the fort!' Norrington ordered to his friend before returning to Miss Swann, worried.'Elizabeth, are you…''Yes, I'm all right, I'm fine!' she cut him, visibly annoyed by the Commodore. 'Go capture him!'Taken aback by her anger, Norrington raised his eyebrows and followed his men.'What's wrong with her?' he wondered to himself. This woman definitely had fire in her belly, he shouldn't have misjudged her. After half an hour of running about in the streets of Port Royal, James heard some commotion in the blacksmith's forge. He gave the other of smashing the door, then to his surprise saw Sparrow's unconscious form on the ground.'Excellent work, Mister Brown. You've aided in the capture of dangerous fugitive' Norrington said to the blacksmith who was holding a broken bottle.'Just doing my civic duty' the man replied solemnly. Hearing the pirate coming back to his senses, James stood over him.  
'I believe you will always remember this as the day Captain Jack Sparrow almost escaped' he said with a smile and ordered his men to take him to the prison.

After he reported the incident to the officials of the city, James went home with his friends, relieved that this day was finally over.

'Well, that was one of the busiest days we've have in a long time' Theodore laughed when they were gathered around the dinner table.

'The promotion ceremony, the proposal, the arrest of a rather lame pirate… Not bad for a day' agreed Andrew.

'Yes, I am very pleased with the arrest of this Jack Sparrow. He really is up to his reputation.'

'And what about the proposal, anyway?' Theodore asked, intrigued, for in truth, neither he nor Andrew knew Miss Swann's answer.

James stiffened, visibly ill at ease.

'Miss Swann… She didn't seem to be expecting my proposal; she was so surprised that she fainted and well, you know the rest.' He shook his head at the memory. 'Just when I had gotten around the idea, she's the one who seems to push me off. She was very cold and angered towards me after the Sparrow incident. I honestly don't know what to expect from her.'

Gillette said nothing, but internally he was glad the situation had turned out in such an unexpected and unsettling way; he hadn't given up on the idea of Lawrence and his Captain, well Commodore now, being together eventually.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimers: I don't own Potc and its characters.**  
**My readers are the salt of the earth, thank you so much.**

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'Haven't you heard the news?' exclaimed Mrs Harrington in Isabella's chambers.

'Port Royal's been attacked last night! I knew those were canons I heard, but Mr Harrington kept telling it was my imagination. Port Royal, attacked by pirates! Really, this is terrible.' Mrs Harrington heavily sat in a chair and fanned herself.

'And the worst, my dear Isabella, I am so sorry to tell you this, Miss Elizabeth has been kidnapped!'

Under the shock, and considering her health that was still low, Isabella fainted. Lawrence was on her feet, pacing up and down the room, her mind racing.

'Does anyone know why the pirates chose to attack now? Are there a lot of casualties?'

'I don't know my child, I don't know' Mrs Harrington shook her head, wiping her tears.

'And what about Elizabeth? Any idea why she's been kidnapped? Are there people going after her on sea?' _By people, I really want to know about James and my friends, but I really can't be so forward with her…_

'How would I know? I hope they will find her soon and that she's treated properly, that's all that matters. You should go to the harbour and tell about it when you return, dear!'

As she was talking, Isabella recovered herself, very pale.

'Please Charlotte, don't go yet. Stay with me…'

Lawrence was dying to know more about the whole incident, but she couldn't leave her cousin that way. She took Isabella's hand.

'Of course I won't, don't worry!'

Lawrence stayed by her cousin's side for six days, which left her a lot of time to think about a lot of things; she knew Captain Krupke would propose any day now, it couldn't be otherwise, his behaviour told as much. She couldn't possibly accept that idea, no matter how hard she tried, she would never imagine herself married to anyone; she knew that was a shame, for he was a handsome man, and he was _really_ wealthy, but he would never fill her heart, and a life in a country house wasn't what she dreamt of; he wasn't the man that made her heart beat. Which led her to the next major questions that kept going up in her mind. After barely a month with her cousin, she couldn't stand this kind of life anymore; she needed to do something useful, something meaningful; and that meant only one thing: becoming Ensign Lawrence Reynolds once again.

But that led to another problem: _James_. What would she say to him? She would have to face him eventually. She knew Andrew and Theodore would be overjoyed to see her again, but James… She didn't know what to expect from him, their last encounter had broken her heart, although he was only performing his duties. Would he denounce her and send her to jail, as she should have been? Or would he be happy to see her again? In any case, nothing would be as it were before the discovery of her true identity.

_'Oh, there's also one think I haven't thought about…'_ Lawrence realized with dread. '_What will I tell Isabella, and my aunt and uncle? I can't tell them about my real plans, and certainly not about what happened the previous year.'_

She waited for Isabella to be fully recovered to announce them the news.

'So, you're leaving us already?' Mr Harrington said, puzzled.

'Yes, I am so sorry. One of my French friends is really sick and has asked me to see her in New Orleans.'

'We understand my dear, you do well to go to your friend when she's asking for you' Mrs Harrington said. 'But you will come back to us the, won't you?'

Lawrence half-lied, promising her to join them as soon as possible.

'But, Charlotte, what about Captain Krupke? You should wait until he proposes! That way, you would go to your friend as a happily married woman.'

'I'm afraid I will have to let my chances with him go and give them to some else who deserves it better than I do.'

'When are you going then?' asked Isabella sadly.

'I don't know yet, I will try to figure it out today and take a chamber in the harbour until the right ship arrives.'

'Today? You mean… you are leaving us now then?'

'I'm afraid so, dear cousin. But don't you worry, I will write to you as much as possible!' She realized she wouldn't, as she never wrote to Theodore nor Andrew since she had left them.

She thanked them for their generosity and wished them well until the next time she would see them, and left to the city of Kingston before going to the harbour. She needed to buy some male clothes, and the money Mr Harrington had given became very handy. She couldn't simply buy some boys clothes in a shop, that would only raise suspicions, so she headed to the darker streets of Kingston.

A few people stared as she went from gloomy streets to gloomy streets with her fine clothes, but nobody dared disturb her. In the end, she entered a tavern, and luckily for her, not a soul that there yet except for a large women who seemed to be running this tavern.

'And what would a fine lady be doin' round here?' the woman said, quite surprised.

'I-I am looking for something, and I hoped that perhaps you could help me…'

'What is it? Someone's stolen your pretty necklace?'

'No' Lawrence said, furrowing her brow. 'Not at all. I was wondering whether you… whether you might have boys clothes about my height.'

'And why would you need that for?' she eyed the newcomer suspiciously.

Lawrence shrugged. 'Boy's clothes are safer than those I'm wearing, don't you agree?'

'What's in it for me? What if I find some?'

'I'll pay you, plus I'll let you my dress to sell.'

The woman thought about it for a couple a seconds then agreed.

'Alright then, just wait for me here, I'll see what I can do.'

She came back a few minutes later with a bundle of clothes in her hands.

'I'll take the money now. You can change in the first bedroom.'

When Lawrence came downstairs, she looked like any young man of the streets; her clothes weren't the cleanest you could find but that would do. She gave her dress to the woman and left for the harbour.

She wasn't expecting such a sight; a couple of buildings had been badly damaged by the canons, and there was still a lot of commotion around the area.

She went straight for the naval barracks and identified herself as Ensign Reynolds. She was relieved that the guard at the sentry wasn't performing his duties properly, for he would have asked her questions she wouldn't have been able to answer.

'Excuse me, sir' she said to a young man who looked slightly older than her. 'I am looking for the clothing office. I've been robbed last night so I need a new uniform before leaving.'

'Just on the other side of the courtyard, you can't miss it.'

She thanked him and indeed found easily the clothing office, where she told her lie once again.

'What's your name again, boy?' the man behind the counter asked.

'I am Ensign Reynolds. I served under Captain Norrington on board of the _Dauntless_.'

The man who wasn't expecting such an answer apologized quickly for his familiarity. 'Begging your pardon, young sir. Let me find you your new uniform.'

'Here you go. And don't forget to go to the armoury!'

'Thank you. And err, where should I go?'

'Down the main hall, on the left.'

'Thank you, sir. Have a good day.'

Lawrence decided to change herself before heading to the armoury and inquire about her friends, so she wandered along the corridors and up the stairs until she found the first room where she could safely change her clothes. Once done, she went straight to the armoury where she got her new sword and pistol. She knew the stocks were pretty limited, but being an officer of the Navy, nobody could possibly refuse.

Now fully equipped, Lawrence sat on a low wall to think about what she would do next. She was happily surprised by how well everything went so far, not only a few hours ago, she was still wearing a dress and pretending to be Charlotte, whereas now she felt like Lawrence again.

'I don't think James would still be here a week after Elizabeth's rapt… So the Dauntless is out of the question. I need to board another ship, I need to find James and help him safe Elizabeth._'_ She sighed. 'I just want to see her safe, I really like her. My feelings for James don't have to get in the way. If he ever forgives me, he'd never share my feelings; at best he would consider me as a friend. It'd be enough for me, as long as he is safe and happy and that I am with him and Theodore and Andrew, then I don't need anything else in the world. Alright, time to get things a-moving then.' She stood up, straightened her navy jacket, and went to the office of the admiral.

She could no longer wait, she had lost too much time; her actions would be bold, but then again, they've always been bold from the start of her journey.

She knocked on the door and waited for the admiral to let her in.

'Yes, what is it?' He lifted his head from his paperwork and noticed her insignia. 'May I help you, Ensign…?'

'Reynolds, sir, Ensign Lawrence Reynolds.'

'Reynolds, _the_ Reynolds who made such an impression on board of the _HMS Dauntless_?'

Lawrence narrowed her eyes. '_Has James talked about me? Maybe there was still hope of redemption then…'_

'Himself, Admiral, sir. I came to you for that very matter, sir. I was wondering whether one of our ships would her back up in the recovery of Miss Swann.'

'No, we won't send another ship for the Governor's daughter, it would require too much trouble for a task easily done.'

'But sir, if I may insist, anything could happen in the open sea, they might need our help!'

'They won't. Now, if that is all you came for, I would appreciate if you returned to your duties and left me to more important matters.'

'Yes sir, I understand. My apologies for the disturbance.'

Lawrence left his office grumbling. Clearly, it would have been too perfect had he accepted, she needed another plan. She went to look at the chart of the ships currently at sea and those bound to leave and let out a heavy sigh.

'I don't even know where they're heading' she said, crestfallen.

'Where who's heading?' a red-hair man asked her. He had come to her side while she was looking at the different names of the ships and their respective missions.

'Oh, I didn't see you coming! I was thinking about the _Dauntless_, sir. I used to be assigned to that ship, and now I've missed her departure.'

'The Dauntless? Why, it was stolen by the pirate Jack Sparrow and the blacksmith's apprentice, Turner. The Commodore went on board of the _HMS Interceptor_ to take her back and look after Miss Swann.'

'The Commodore... Norrington? He isn't Captain anymore then?'

'Of course he isn't! Where have you been the last few days? Everybody was there!'

'Oh, well… I was ill and took bed for a couple of weeks.'

'Ah, that explains a lot then.'

'So, you mean that Cap- Commodore Norrington and his crew went after pirates with only one ship?'

'That's what I said indeed.'

'Do you know where they're heading?'

'Why? You do realise that they left about six days ago and that there's no way you can join them?'

'Of course, I know. I just wanted to know, I still have some friends on board so…'

The man nodded.

'I heard they were heading east, but apart from that, nobody knows yet. Who can predict a pirate? For all I know, the pirates that took Miss Swann are in Tortuga at the moment.'

'Tortuga?' Lawrence had heard the crew talk about this place before, but she never dared to ask about it.

'The fever has really damaged your brain! Tortuga, the worst island there is, full of pirates and drunkard, that's what it is. For your sake, Ensign, never set foot in Tortuga!'

'I won't. I thank you for the information you have given me, sir.'

'My pleasure.' He saluted her, being of a lesser rank, and left her to her thoughts.

'Alright then, I've got to start somewhere, so Tortuga it is then!'


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimers: I don't own Potc and the characters belonging to this franchise.**

**Thank you to each and everyone of you, your views, follows, favs, and reviews mean so much to me.**

* * *

Lawrence had two options, either becoming regular deck boy on board of the first ship going east, or waiting for the _Dauntless _to write a missive asking for the help of another vessel belonging to His Majesty. That last option was much safer, but could take so long; however, Lawrence decided for the latter. It was either waiting for a couple of weeks while remaining an officer of the Navy, or risking her life at sea with men she didn't know and who would have discussable morals as they would be heading to Tortuga.

So she waited in Port Royal; a room had been given to her in the officer's aisle, and as long as she was with like-minded people, she could bear the passing of time. After a few days in the naval barracks, she befriended some cadets younger than her. They did remind her of her brother, their youth, their enthusiasm and readiness to live a big adventure at sea. She spent her days with them, practicing their swordsmanship whenever they could, and studying naval charts and other useful skills for any young officer of the Navy.

In the end, Lawrence was satisfied with her decision of staying here for a while, she knew the last two months in the company of either the French ladies, or her cousin Isabella had left her out of practice.

Two weeks passed before she was assigned on board of a ship; she had hoped no one would need her until they heard from the _Dauntless_, but life was that merciful. She was to serve on the _HMS Perseverance _under the commands of Captain Higgins, a man in his mid-forties with a constant serious face.

The ship left two days later for Port-au-Prince, where they were to escort a senior man back to Port-Royal. The journey wouldn't take more than ten days.

_'But what if the Dauntless arrived while I am away? What if they left again during my absence? No, the odds are pretty slim for that last option, there is still hope then.'_

Her days on board of the ship were dull; she had no one to talk to, the Captain and his subordinate officers weren't as friendly as her friends and they barely talked to her except for telling her what to do. Befriending members of the crew was even more unthinkable, so she spent her days alone with her thoughts, hoping the best for her friends, including Elizabeth, and watching over the horizon.

'Ship ahead!' shouted the sentry from the crow's nest. 'It's one of ours, Captain!'

'Thank you, Mr. Lloyd' Captain Higgins said.

He turned to his Lieutenant at hand and Lawrence who was also with him on the top deck.

'I do believe it is the _Dauntless_, let us be ready to welcome whoever comes to greet us on board.'

At the mention of the ship, Lawrence's heart skipped a beat; her eyes shot up to look at Captain Higgins, full of hope.

'Greet us, sir? Shouldn't _we_ greet them on their board?'

He looked at her sternly.

'You didn't think this through, Ensign Reynolds. Don't you think that their ship is already overloaded with the addition of new captives, as they are returning successful from their mission?'

'Yes, captain, sir, you are right indeed.'

'Whenever am I not?' he said to himself.

Lawrence tried to hide as best as she could her enthusiasm, but she couldn't help smiling despite her efforts to keep a straight face.

_'Oh please God, let them all be well'_ she thought as she waited impatiently.

_'Who comes to greet the captain of another ship anyway? Is it the task of the Captain, or his officers, or both? Will I see James at last?' _ She kept thinking about those questions until the boat sent from the _Dauntless_ reached them.

She forced herself to look away as long as possible to keep her surprise intact.

'Welcome on board, Lieutenant Gillette' said Captain Higgins emotionless.

_'Andrew is here!'_ Lawrence finally turned round to greet her friend.

'Thank you, Captain Higgins. I am happy to meet you. What brings you in those high waters?'

Higgins explained him succinctly their mission, no bothering to ask about his.

Gillette listened and glanced at the other officers on board, in case he knew some of them.

When he saw Lawrence, his eyes grew wide in surprise. 'Law- Ensign Reynolds! I wasn't expecting to see you here.'

Whatever she found in his eyes was all but reproach and anger, so she smiled brightly in return; although, she seemed worried by the tired look he bore.

'It's a pleasure to see you again, Lieutenant Gillette. Was your mission successful?'

'Very. I…' He looked at Captain Higgins to see if the man had something else to say to him, but when he saw he had none, he beckoned Lawrence to talk with her aside.

'Oh Lawrence! I'm so glad to see you. We don't have much time, tell me, how have you been since we last saw you?' he asked when he was sure nobody was listening.

'You know, I would have hugged you if the situation had been different…' she laughed. 'I've been very well, bored, but well. I've spent some time with my family in Kingston and…'

'Kingston?' he cut her.

'Yes, my family lives there, well, just on the outskirts really. When I learned about the attack on Port-Royal, I came as quickly as I could to enrol again, spent a few weeks in the naval barracks, and here I am now.'

'Why didn't you tell us before that your family lived so near to Port-Royal? We could have…'

'Please Andrew, we'll talk about this later. Tell me about yourself, and Theodore, and… James. Are you all well? What about Elizabeth?'

Gillette smiled fondly at her worry. 'Yes, yes we are all well. And after much trouble, Miss Swann has been rescued with great success. This mission has been the strangest I've ever heard of; I wish you'd been there to live it with us.' He sighed, wishing he had more time to talk to her. 'I need to leave now, I wish I could tell you about this crazy story, but we'll have to do this another time. We've missed you, you know.'

'I've missed you so much, all of you. Please, take care until then, I'll soon be back in Port-Royal.'

'I certainly hope so' he smiled. 'Take care of yourself too. And I promise, we won't leave without you next time.'

'I count on that!' she laughed. 'Send my best to James and Theodore.'

'I will. They will be so relieved to know that you're well. Not sure about you being in the Navy again, though…'

When he saw her smile suddenly drop, he tried to reassure her.

'No, no don't worry, I was only joking! As long as you're alright, that's all that matters. I must go, have a safe mission, Lawrence.'

'Have a safe trip home, Lieutenant Gillette' she smiled again and saluted him formally.

He saluted her back, wishing he could be less formal with her, but it wouldn't do in this particular situation, then went to Captain Higgins to say his farewell and climbed down the ropes to return to his boat.

Lawrence watched him sail back to the _Dauntless_, wishing she were with him. Her mission would seem twice as long now that she had seen at least one of her friends and knowing that they would be waiting for her in Port-Royal.

'Why are you smiling so much?' asked Lieutenant Groves when his friend came back on board of the _Dauntless_.

'Theodore, you will never believe me!'

'Who was steering the ship then, Lieutenant Gillette?' asked Norrington coming up to meet him.

'Captain Higgins, sir. They are heading to Port-Au-Prince to escort the old Admiral Leyton to Port-Royal.'

'Ah, good. I knew this mission would come up at some point. However, that does not explain why you are indeed smiling, as Lieutenant Groves pointed out.' Norrington raised an eyebrow, curious to know the reason.

'Well,' Andrew began. He wasn't sure they would react, especially James. So much had happened on his side, the proposal, Miss Swann's lack of answer, the chasing after her, Mr Turner's open profession of love, Miss Swann sharing Mr Turner's feelings… His friend's heart had already endured a few blows, maybe now wasn't the time to tell him about Lawrence.

'Ensign Reynolds was also on board.'

Norrington raised his eyebrow higher. 'I beg your pardon? I'm not sure I've-'

'Lawrence, she was there too. She's a part of this mission.'

'How is she? Is she well? Where has she been all this time?' asked Theodore, anxious to know more about his friend.

Andrew smiled and told him all he knew so far.

'So, she's returned to the Navy in spite of everything that happened, and she resided so close to us all this time without any of us knowing about it? She will never cease to confuse me, I fear' James confessed, astounded by the news.

_'Why not telling us about her destination then, as it were so close to ours? And why did she come back to the Navy? Anything could have happened to her, she was safer with her family. Why must she be so reckless and unpredictable?'_ Norrington wondered, looking at the _Perseverance_.

'She should have stayed with her family, I think; it would have been safer' said Groves.

'My thoughts exactly' concurred Norrington. 'Although really, I cannot blame her for her decision; we should have expected something like this. After all, she did escape the monotony of the aristocratic life once, nothing said she wouldn't do it twice.' He would never admit it to anyone, but he was proud of her, despite the dangers she presented herself to; not everyone would have done the same, which made Lawrence stand out all the more to his eyes.

Lawrence tried to forget about the brief encounter with her friend to focus on her mission; but it didn't really work. She was relieved to know that all her friends were well and that Elizabeth was safe now. _'And now nothing will delay their wedding any longer'_ she thought grimly. 'I may want them both to be happy; I don't care anymore about my broken heart. Friendship will remain at least.'

The rest of the mission happened without trouble or events worth mentioning; they picked up Admiral Leyton and made their way back to Port-Royal in the same silence as before.

In Port-Royal, when the _Dauntless_ arrived, the whole harbour was filled with people cheering. Elizabeth went safely back home with her father, thanking once again Captain Norrington for all the trouble he took to rescue her.

Their exchange of words was very formal; Elizabeth felt sorry for him, after all, he must have had feelings for her as he had proposed to her, and she had treated him with much condescendence ever since. She knew she should have accepted his proposal, as everybody expected, but her heart had always belonged to a certain blacksmith's apprentice, ever since she was a little girl, and now the events of the Isla de Muerte had changed everything; she would be Will's wife and no one else's.

James had been surprised to discover the depth of Elizabeth's love for young master Turner, all the more so that it was unexpected given their respective social statuses. He had to concede that Will Turner, despite his past and more or less in tendencies towards piracy, was a brave young man whose merit had to be applauded. On top of that, the outcome of the events relieved of a weight he thought he would bear all his life; no more did he have to marry Miss Swann.

The prisoners were sent to the newly-reconstructed jail, and Jack Sparrow put in a special one, away from the other pirates. As for Will, the Governor decided to grace him for his brave actions in the liberation of his daughter and for the sake of Elizabeth's love.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimers: I don't own Potc and so on.**

**Thank you so so much to my great readers, I love you all!**

* * *

The day of Sparrow's trial, the whole city was in commotion; soldiers and citizens included.

James Norrington hated the idea of taking a man's life, as any decent human being did; he just wanted it to be done and never talk about it again; after all, that pirate had proved to be quite an interesting man.

At one point, when Sparrow's sentence to death was read solemnly, young master Turner came to salute Norrington, the Governor and Miss Swann.

'Governor Swann, Commodore. Elizabeth… I should have told you every day from the moment I met you. I love you.'

_'What was that for?'_ Norrington thought as he watched the young man walk away while the noose was put around Sparrow's neck. The drums rolled; the pirate's death would be eminent.

'Ican't breathe!' gasped Elizabeth, falling backwards.  
'Elizabeth!' exclaimed both the Governor and Norrington at the same time, helping her to her feet.

A lot of things happened at the same time, Sparrow's hanging was miraculously stopped mid-way, Turner fought a couple of guards until he reached the gallows, and the two of them ran to the tower where Norrington's men were already waiting for them.

'I thought we might have to endure some manner of ill-conceived escape attempt but not from you' said Norrington reprovingly to Will.

'On our return to Port Royal, I granted you clemency' added Governor Swann, 'and this is how you thank me? By throwing in your lot with him? He's a pirate!'

'And a good man' replied Turner. If all I have achieved here is that the hangman will earn two pairs of boots instead of one, so be it. At least my conscience will be clear.'

'You forget your place, Turner' Norrington warned.

Will looked him right in the eyes. 'It's right here, between you and Jack'

'As is mine' announced Elizabeth, standing next to Will.

'Elizabeth!' exclaimed the Governor, shocked by her action. 'Lower your weapons. For goodness' sake put them down!'

'So this is where your heart truly lies, then?' inquired James feigning his surprise and hiding his relief to the news.

'It is' she told him without remorse.

'Well! I'm actually feeling rather good about this' began Sparrow, who was still standing with them.' He turned to the Governor. 'I think we've all arrived at a very special place, eh? Spiritually? Ecumenically? Grammatically?' He then looked at Norrington. 'I want you to know that I was rooting for you, mate. Know that.'

James startled at those words. _'What was this pirate going on about?'_

'Elizabeth…' Jack continued. 'It would never have worked between us, darling. I'm sorry. Will… nice hat. Friends!' he said, walking backwards dangerously getting closer to the parapet. 'This is the day that you will always remember as the day that-' and down he fell into the sea.

All gasped and looked over the ledge.

'Idiot' Lieutenant Gillette sneered. 'He has nowhere to go but back to the noose. What is your plan of action, Sir?'

Norrington didn't know what to do at that moment; the man had cheated Death twice in barely five minutes! Should he ask for his men to pursue him? He didn't want to leave for a new mission so soon after the previous one and especially not until he had seen Lawrence, who was to arrive anytime soon.

'Perhaps on the rare occasion pursuing the right course demands an act of piracy, piracy itself can be the right course?' suggested Governor Swann at the lack of answer of the Commodore.

James focused on the present matter, and turned to Will. 'Mr. Turner…'

'I will accept the consequences of my actions' Will said to Elizabeth, fearing his imminent arrest.

Norrington unsheathed his sword and examined it in the sunlight; thinking about Lawrence only for a brief moment had made him realize the things one can do for love, however foolish and irresponsible. 'This is a beautiful sword. I would expect the man who made it to show the same care and devotion in every aspect of his life.'

'Thank you' Will slightly bowed and looked fondly at Elizabeth.

'Commodore! What about Sparrow?' asked Gillette, slightly frowning; he didn't know how to interpret his friend's last comment about Elizabeth.

'Well, I think we can afford to give him one day's head start' James said, smiling at his friend and going away from the couple kissing and the Governor beaming at the sight.

Andrew hurried to follow him and asked once at his sides:

'James, what was it all about?'

Norrington looked at him, his eyebrows raised, still smiling; Gillette rolled his eyes.

'Oh, I know that look.'

Norrington's smile reached his eyes when he turned to his friend.

'So, I gather that you didn't notice then?'

'Notice wh-'

'The _Perseverance_ is coming back from its mission; she will be here in about half an hour I'd say.'

Andrew's face lit up. 'And by 'she' you mean the ship, of course?'

'But of course!' James rolled his eyes and started walking towards the harbour.

On their way, they found Theodore and told him about Lawrence's arrival; the three of them stood in the shade of a tall tree and watched in silence as the ship came closer and closer; each lost in his own thoughts. Andrew had had the chance to see her not eight days ago, but he was as anxious as Theodore to see her again; Theodore couldn't wait to hug her and see how much she had changed in the last months. As for James, his thoughts weren't as joyous; indeed he kept thinking about their last encounter, and that maybe she wouldn't forgive him, so telling her about his growing feelings were even more unlikely to happen.

The _Perseverance_ laid anchor at last; Lawrence gathered all her strength not to run off that ship to find her friends for the sake of her dignity. She had missed them terribly, and the way back had been excruciatingly long. She helped one of the lieutenants with Admiral Leyton's belongings and once she had nothing else to do, Captain Higgins give her leave, and she finally looked around to see whether Theodore or Andrew would be near.

_'Neither of them… Perhaps they have not been told about our arrival, or maybe they are already on another mission?'_ She tried to curb her disappointment. She had so longed to see them again, and now they were maybe gone for months. As she tried to think of other reasons that would have held them back, she walked past them without noticing, too lost in her downcast thoughts.

'Is that how you treat old friends that you haven't seen in months?' laughed Theodore.

Lawrence turned round instantly, all dark thoughts suddenly gone.

'Theodore!' He came to her and gave her a warm hug, not caring about anyone watching.

'It's been ages since I last saw you!' She stepped back to give Andrew a hug. 'Hello again, Andrew!' She was smiling brightly, so relieved to see that her friends hadn't forgotten her.

'Wher-?' she began but then stopped suddenly when she saw him.

James had eventually stepped off the shade of the tree to greet her; the sight of him made her stomach feel fuzzy, especially as she noticed that he was even handsomer than she remembered, with his face relaxed and his eyes that seemed to shine with joy.

_'There's no way I'm going to hug him, even though I'm dying to.'_

'Welcome back, Lawrence' James said smiling at her. He didn't know what to do now that she was here; _'Should I shake her hand? No too formal. Or hug her like she hugged Theodore and Andrew? Definitely not, I don't even know whether she thinks of me as a friend.'_ Instead of doing anything, he just awkwardly stood in front of her.

'Thank you, Captain. I mean, Commodore. I am really glad to see you again.'

'And I you. I never thought I would ever see you again to tell the truth.'

_'Damn it, James! Why did I say that? Now she must think I didn't want to see her again…'_ he admonished himself when he saw her brow ever so slightly crease. _'Just, say something nice.'_

'I, err, we've missed your presence on board of the _Dauntless_' he said to amend himself.

She looked at the three of them and smiled fondly at them.

'And I've missed you all very much too.'

Theodore rolled his eyes at seeing them so awkwardly standing there. It was obvious that their words were too short for what they truly felt and wanted to tell the other, but James being James and Lawrence being the overly reverent woman that she was, their reunion had to be this awkward.

'Alright, let's celebrate our friend's return instead on standing in the sun!' Theodore said to end it.

'Perhaps our friend is tired after her journey…'

'No, not at all, James. I would do anything to stay with you as much as possible. Err, by you I mean all of you, of course. Not that I wouldn't…' she blushed deeply, embarrassed by the things she hadn't planned on saying.

Andrew laughed and gave her a smack on the back, happy to notice that she was still infatuated with her former Captain.

Her last comment gave food for thoughts to James, so he said nothing and walked along with closest friends now all reunited.

They went into their accustomed tavern and ordered their usual afternoon tea.

'So, how was your mission Lawrence?' asked Theodore.

'Well, there is nothing much to say about it, really. I'd even say nothing at all. But please, tell me, all of you, about your last mission, I so wish to know all about it!' Lawrence said eagerly, looking at them with bright eyes.

Her friends proceeded to tell her in turns everything from the attack on Port-Royal and Elizabeth's rapt, to the events of today. Lawrence was fascinated by what they told her and listened to them as a little child to whom you tell stories of castles and dragons.

She wished she had been with them from the start to live with them this incredible adventure; chasing after pirates was one thing, but a mission involving a Mayan curse and skeleton pirates was another.

'I've always known Elizabeth had something wild in her!' she said when they had finished.

'You know Miss Swann then?' asked James, incredulous. 'You never told us.'

'Yes, well, only recently, thanks to my cousin Isabella Harrington. She's become a friend of mine in a way.' She paused. 'I'm sorry to hear about your proposal and that Will Turner, James. I wish one day you will find the woman that will make you happy' she said awkwardly, ignoring the weight that had settled in her stomach as she said those words.

Andrew and Theodore looked at each other, raising an eyebrow, and waiting anxiously for James' reaction.

His brow had furrowed; he was looking at his empty cup, then he lifted his head and locked his eyes on Lawrence's.

'I thank you, Lawrence. Perhaps one day I will indeed. I am mostly glad that Miss Swann and Mr Turner have found each other in spite of everything…'

Those last words hang in the air for longer than expected, full of promise and of hope.

Lawrence felt her stomach buzzing with butterflies once again; _'Is there something else to understand behind those words?' _she thought.

Andrew cleared his throat.

'Well, I don't know for you, but we've been talking since the middle of the afternoon and now that night had fallen, I am starving!'

'Me too!' said Theodore, rising up.

They all rose from the table.

'I will leave you for tonight, gentlemen' Lawrence said.

'Don't you want to join us for dinner?' asked James expectantly.

Lawrence gave him a small smile. 'I would love to, but not tonight. I need to join the barracks before curfew.'

Norrington didn't insist.

'Of course, I understand.'

'Why don't you join us tomorrow at 0750 for the morning colours?'

'Great, I'll see you there then! Have a nice evening.' She formally saluted them and smiled. 'I am so glad to have seen you again, at last.'


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimers: Potc and its characters aren't mine, the rest is.**

**A huge THANK YOU to all my beautiful readers, you never cease to make my day.**

* * *

'What do you mean we're not part of the mission?' Lieutenant Groves said to the admiral of Port-Royal's division, his anger showing.

'Lieutenant' the admiral sighed, 'You do realize the crew, officers or not, isn't married to any ship or any captain. Which is why, you and Lieutenant Gillette won't participate in the capture of Jack Sparrow and his fellow pirates. The Navy needs you elsewhere, we all have to take turns, I do hope you understand, Lieutenant Groves?'

'Yes, Admiral; of course… I shall tell Lieutenant Gillette the news then.'

'Please do. Oh and Lieutenant, if you see the Commodore, tell him to come see me.'

'Yes, sir.'

Theodore left, grumbling; in all his years on sea, he had never been assigned to a ship with anyone else but James at the commands. Something was very wrong about all this; the Navy was being completely rearranged little by little, and he didn't like the sound of it.

He told Andrew the news, and of course, his friend was as furious as he was; sailing without James would be a whole new experience, and certainly not a pleasant one.

Norrington was signing up papers when he saw his two former Lieutenants approach.

'I take it by the look on your faces that you've heard the news then…' he said with disapproval in his voice.

'Why do they do that now, James? What do any of us gain from this sudden change?' asked Gillette.

'I don't know… It's something to do with our new alliance with the East India Trading Company apparently; some high-placed officials being too zealous, who knows…'

'And you're leaving us today then, to chase after the _Pearl_?'

'So it would seem. But there is something I must ask our admiral.' He rose up and walked towards the admiral's office. 'I'll see later, Lieutenants.'

When he entered the office, Norrington wasn't very confident about his request, but after all, he had nothing to lose if it were not granted.

'May I do something for you, Commodore Norrington? You know as well as I do that I can't change anything about the Lieutenants Groves' and Gillette's assignments. '

'I do indeed, sir, and I understand this decision, though I don't fully agree with it. I came to ask you a favour, if I may put it that way.'

The admiral looked at him intently, curious.

'I am all ears, Commodore.'

'May I request the presence of Ensign Reynolds on this mission? He is a very competent young man, and I know his skills would be required if anything wrong came to happen.' Norrington kept his face emotionless as he said those words, ignoring the tingle he felt in his stomach.

'Ensign Reynolds, you say? I don't see why not. Alright, I will assign him on board of the _Dauntless_ then; it is good that you decide to take the boy under your wing and form him. He is a very promising young man indeed.'

'My thoughts exactly. Thank you Admiral, shall I tell him the news myself?'

'Yes you can. In case I don't see you before you leave, good luck with Sparrow, Commodore.'

James bowed and saluted his superior.

'Thank you sir.'

As all the members of the crew returning from a mission, Lawrence had her day off. Norrington found her sat on a bench, watching the sea spreading to the horizon.

When she heard footsteps, she turned round and smiled at the sight of her friend.

'Good morning, James' she greeted him.

'Good morning again, Lawrence. Can I seat?' he asked hesitantly.

'Of course!' she moved aside to leave him room. _'Must we have _the_ discussion now? Please James, don't be angry at me…'_ she thought with dread, fearing her friend would lecture her on her being back in the Navy.

'I know it's your day off and that you've just returned from your mission, but…' he sighed. 'As you may or may not know, the _Dauntless_ will start his chase after the pirate Sparrow today, and for some obscure reasons, Lieutenant Gillette and Lieutenant Groves aren't of the party.'

'Wh-why? They've always been with you on any mission!'

'I know, and unfortunately I can't do anything about it. However, I… Would you like to come anyway? You can refuse, of course, and I would understand completely, but I thought you m-'

'Really? You want me to go with you?' she rose from her seat and stood in front of him, ready to go. 'Of course I want to! I mean, hum, I would very appreciate it, Capt- Commodore!' she smiled, bowing.

The sun and her joy made her eyes look brighter and even more beautiful than as usual, noticed Norrington. _'Now, I shouldn't think like that, especially as we are to spend weeks, maybe a month at sea together'_ he scolded himself.

He gave her a smile and also rose.

'Thank you for accepting, Lawrence. I am sorry you won't be with Andrew and Theodore in some time…'

'Thank you for proposing, James. I am sorry too, but it's alright, I won't be alone as I'll be with you.' _'Oh God, did I really say that out loud?'_ he realized with concern. _'I hope he won't interpret it any other way…'_

'Well then' she said after an awkward pause, 'I must pack quickly then. When are we leaving?'

'At noon. I hope you won't mind being at sea again with so little time to recover from your previous journey.'

Lawrence shook her head. 'I've always felt more comfortable there than on land; the sea is like my home.' _'And home is wherever I'm with you'_ she thought, biting her cheek to stop herself from thinking that way.

James' smile grew wider. _'Birds of a feather…'_

Lawrence saluted him and hurried to her quarters to pack her things and say good-bye to her young friends before joining Andrew and Theodore on top of the fort.

'Why are you wearing your uniform, Lawrence? Aren't you supposed to rest today?' inquired Theodore.

'Well, I was, but not anymore. I, err, James asked me to join him on his mission as neither of you could go with him…'

'Ah, I told you he would!' exclaimed Andrew, punching his male friend in the arm. 'So obviously you've accepted.'

'Why would I ever refuse such an offer, really!'

They all laughed, Theodore and Andrew shaking their heads.

'Any advice on how to handle the now Commodore Norrington? I mean, you've known him for so much longer than I, and he might have changed since the last time I sailed with him…'

'Oh he has changed, but for the better I would say; maybe you won't notice anything though.' _'Of course she wouldn't, as his change happened ever since he became friend with her'_ Andrew thought.

Lawrence frowned. 'How is he taking the whole thing with Elizabeth? I don't want a brooding Commodore with me' she tried to joke, although she was really worried about this subject.

'There are things you'll have to figure out by yourself, Lawrence; we can't tell you everything!' Theodore poked her arm with his finger.

The three friends walked towards the harbour as noon was getting closer.

'There is one advice we can give you, though' Theodore started. 'Talk to him as you talk to us, especially now that there will be only the two of you; don't shut him off. He may not show it but he does like you as much as we do, Lawrence. Don't hesitate to break the ice and tell him when he's being a complete clotpole!' he laughed.

'Alright, alright, I'll keep my eye on him then' she said.

When the _Dauntless_ was ready to set sails, James and Lawrence individually said their goodbyes to their mutual friends.

'I wished I could have stayed with you a while longer… Promise, when we return, we'll catch up with all the time we've lost!'

'I'm counting on that' said Theodore. 'Take care, you're in good hands with James.'

'I know' she smiled. 'Take care too, and make sure Andrew doesn't propose to the first lady he encounters, alright?'

'Alright!' Theodore laughed.

She hugged him and said goodbye to Andrew.

'Go live this adventure without us, you'll have so many things to tell us upon your return!'

'Yes, I do believe so. Take care Andrew, don't do anything stupid!'

'_You_ don't do anything stupid. I know you'll look well after James, I'm relieved to know he'll be with you.'

Lawrence waved at them and reported to duty on board of the _Dauntless_.

James was already on the top deck with two other officers.

'And here is our young Ensign' he announced to the men. 'Gentlemen, Ensign Reynolds; Mr Reynolds, this is Commander Johnson and Lieutenant Pardy.'

They all greeted one another; Lawrence didn't know what to think of them yet, she tried to remain as objective as possible.

The ship weighed anchor and set course to Tortuga; for if Sparrow was to go anywhere, he would start with Tortuga.

'Ensign Reynolds, may I have a word with you?'

'Of course, Commodore.' She followed him to his quarters and closed the door behind them.

'Here, I thought you might like to have it back; I kept it safe with my belongings…'

He gave her former sword, neatly wrapped in a linen cloth. She delicately seized the package and griped the sword's handle before slashing through the air and attaching it to her uniform.

'Thank you, James. I really appreciate your gesture; I was indeed very distressed when I realized I had parted with one of the last things that once belonged to my brother.'

'I thought as much' he nodded. His stomach felt fuzzy again at the sight of the warmth in her eyes; he never thought she would be that was grateful; and he was pleased to be the source of such gratitude.

After an awkward pause where they looked at each other, both smiling faintly, he cleared his throat.

'Well, err, we should join the others; after you, Lawrence.'

They went to the top deck where James was already solicited by his commander and lieutenant about their plan of action; Lawrence listened to them with great attention, hands behind her back.

After a while, she climbed down the stairs to see whether she knew some crew members; she recognized three of them and was greeted happily when they recognized her. Fortunately for her, they didn't know what had caused her sudden departure the previous time, so their meeting wasn't as awkward as she feared. Old habits dying hard, she talked with them for a little while; after all, she had once been a regular sailor like them.

They were humbled to see her take some of her time to be with them, despite her higher rank; after all those months spent with her, they had come to like and respect her, for she had always helped them when all hands were required, never looked down upon them, and they all remembered Saint Paddy's night when she laughed and danced with them.

They had never fully understood why she had left so quickly a couple of months ago, but whatever the reason had been, her departure hadn't gone unnoticed, as their Captain's mood had changed drastically since then.

Maybe it was her young age, her pleasant face, or her kind heart, but they always felt they could trust her with any problems they encountered and needed to be fixed. Of course, seeing a familiar face among a new set of faces was also very welcomed; for indeed, the even the members of the crew had been dispatched by the same order that caused Lieutenant Groves and Lieutenant Gillette to be assigned to another ship.

The more she thought about it, the more it seemed strange to Lawrence that suddenly everyone should be separated; she wanted to talk about to someone, and that someone was none other than James Norrington.

Tonight, all the officers were invited to dine in his quarters, as is customary the first night on board; Norrington also decided to continue to hold the weekly dinner in his quarters.

Lawrence was happy to see that Doctor Davis was no longer on board but replaced by someone who looked more professional, Doctor Hunter.

The dinner unfolded in a very formal way, each man talking about his most recent mission, except for James who preferred to listen rather than speak about what he did; the atmosphere in the Commodore's quarters was the complete opposite of what it used to be.

Lawrence didn't talk much either; she listened to what was said, and waited for an occasion to talk more privately to James; but it never came. Having nothing else to do, she was the first to retire for the night, much to her friend's disappointment.

When she entered her former quarters, Lawrence felt suddenly very emotional. She never thought she would ever set foot again in this room, _her_ room.

'Yes, this is where I belong' she said to herself, smiling. She washed herself quickly and stepped right into bed; the fabric was coarser than the fine drapes she slept into back at Isabella's house, but it felt more real, more right, more like herself.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimers: I don't own anything but my characters and the story that goes along with them; the rest belongs to the POTC franchise.**

**My readers are the best, thank you so much!**

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'Commodore, can I talk to you about something?' Lawrence said in vague terms not to raise any suspicions from the other officers around. She had waited the whole evening and now morning, she couldn't wait any longer, this thing really troubled her mind.

All the officers were on the top deck, Lieutenant Pardy and Commander Johnson scanning over the map and talking about the places they'd had been; Norrington was leaning over the star-board ridge, watching the sea without thinking about anything in particular. He turned round, an eyebrow raised in surprise.

'Of course, Ensign; let's go to my quarters to discuss about whatever it is you want to ask me' he said, understanding her reticence to talk here, surrounded by people they didn't know yet.

'What is it, Lawrence, is something the matter?' he asked her, worried once they were inside. Instinctively, he had extended his arm and was holding hers with his hand. When he realized a few seconds later what he had done without even thinking, he retreated his arm and held his hands behind his back, internally scolding himself.

'No, nothing. Don't worry, it's nothing important, it doesn't even concern me directly.'

'Ah, good. Err, shall we have our afternoon tea earlier today then?' he proposed.

'What a great idea!' She started towards the smaller table to prepare it but James stopped her by stepping in front of her and smiling.

'Please, Lawrence, you are my guest here, why don't you sit while I take care of everything?'

'Your wish is my command, Sir' she laughed.

'So, what was it you wanted to tell me about then?'

'Ah, yes. Well, it's probably nothing, but I keep thinking about it since yesterday. Don't you think this is strange this new reform about the crew on board of any ship? Why assigning officers _and_ the other members of the crew on a different ship than the one they were used to? I mean, isn't a bit counterproductive? It's like starting things all over again.'

'I'm glad you also noticed, as I was thinking just the same.'

He handed her her cup and sat on a chair next to her, stirring his steaming hot tea mindlessly.

'The East India Trading Company has to do with it, but to which extent, I cannot know yet… The only thing that comes to my mind is the principle of '_D-_'

' _'Divide et Impera'_' Lawrence said at the same time as he did.

James smiled. _'Of course she would think the same, why am I surprised?'_

'Machiavelli has a point though' Lawrence continued. 'But who would create such a state of chaos? What would it serve him to wreak havoc and disturb the general order?'

'To achieve a high end, perhaps; to become the second most powerful man of the colonies next to the King.'

'And then what? It would only flatter his ego and give him more money than needed; I really don't see why any man would choose this.'

James shook his head; Lawrence's heart was so pure, so unmarred; he wished she could stay this innocent forever.

The butterflies in Lawrence's stomach suddenly rose; her friend had been staring at her face without saying a word for few seconds now.

'James… is something wrong?'

'Hmm?' he replied in a dreamy voice, still lost in his thoughts, oblivious to his friend's discomfort.

'Is there something weird on my face, James?' she said a bit louder.

He shook his head to clear his mind and for the first since she had known him, he looked embarrassed.

'I'm so sorry' he gasped. 'I… I got lost in my thoughts, I-'

Lawrence laughed and gave him an encouraging smile.

'It's alright, no harm done.'

After a short pause, James spoke again.

'I was thinking… Theodore and Andrew being absent, and as we rather enjoy each other's company, that maybe it would be a good idea if we decided to meet up for our usual discussions more than once a week, especially given the lack of privacy we have had last night with the other officers and Doctor Hunter. Of course, if you don't want to, I would perfectly understand…'

'I would love to, James! I never thought you'd ask, to be honest.'

'Ah, so you were thinking the same thing then, and dared not voice it?' The right corner of his mouth rose into a smile.

'Well, you being my superior, I would never dare ask such a request. Especially since you might not have agreed and it would have embarrassed both of us.'

'Why don't we agree on something and hold on to it? I want the both of us to always be true to the other, and not care about embarrassment or reverence, or whatever. From now on, we will tell the other everything; isn't it how close friends are supposed to behave towards the other?'

'You are right James, absolutely right. When we are in the private sphere, I will treat you just as I treat Theodore or Andrew. You really don't know what you're getting into!'

'Oh on the contrary, Miss Reynolds, I do know and accept my fate with resolution.'

They both laughed, relieved to have finally broken this awkwardness that had settled between the two of them since they had seen each other again.

'Let's hear which story Commander Johnson is telling' Lawrence suggested light-heartedly. She was so glad that James' friendly feelings towards her had not been marred since the day he had cast her off; now that she came to think of it, she began to fear the moment when this subject would eventually come up; but at the moment, nothing else mattered but James' proposition and the vague look he had when he was staring at her face.

Before they left the quarter deck, James leaned to her ear.

'Why don't we start our "meetings" tonight, at… 2100?'

The feeling of his breath on her bare neck made her shiver; her brain went all foggy and the butterflies in her stomach stirred up once more.

'That's a deal!' she whispered back after clearing her throat.

Just before the given time, Lawrence refreshed herself a bit, changed her shirt and went to the Commodore's quarters cautiously for fear of being seen by the other officers, for what would they say if they saw the young Ensign sneak out of his quarters to meet up with their superior late at night? That wouldn't be good at all.

She knocked only one time on the door, hoping it would be enough. James opened the door and let her go inside quickly.

'Look at us' he said, once the door was shut. 'Meeting up in the middle of the night like two star-crossed lovers.' He suddenly realized what he had said when he saw the red rising to Lawrence's cheeks. 'Or conspirators. Yes, conspirators plotting against Caesar. Although of course our intentions aren't as grim' he said to cover his first comparison.

'You know, maybe deep down we are worse than Brutus?' she laughed to lower the tension that had risen.

'Oh, let me doubt of that Lawrence; you are too good-hearted for that.'

'Don't forget that I killed a man for you, James. And the nastiest I've ever seen.' She shuddered at the thought of that day, the face of that ebony-skin pirate coming up to her mind.

'Yes, you did; and I will never forget it, nor what you've done for me the following weeks. I am truly blessed to have had you on board, especially on that particular day; and to count you among my few friends' he confessed. _'Why did I say that? Since when am I so sentimental and tell everything that comes to mind? She really has messed up my head…'_ he thought more and more bewildered by his recent behaviour.

Lawrence blushed all the more; she wasn't expecting such a confession.

'As I have always said and will say until the end, it was and is an honour to serve under your command, James. By the way, I never got the chance to congratulate you on your promotion. I hope you're proud, you must be one of the youngest Commodores of history!'

James bowed his head, smiling; he smiled an awful lot these last days, and that worried him as well.

'Yes, I am deeply honoured by this new promotion; however, to tell you the truth, I don't think I deserve it-'

'Of course you d-'

'No, let me finish Lawrence' he asked her softly; he sighed before starting of the conversations he dreaded the most to have with his friend.

'You may remember that almost a year ago, I had planned on marrying Miss Swann; to me she was the finest young lady I had ever known. I know for a fact that everyone in Port-Royal already saw us married to each other. However, as time passed, I grew less and less inclined to marry her; but her father had never forgotten that interest I once had in her; which is why when we came back, he invited me to dine with him. That is when he decided to promote me as Commodore, but before I could get over this surprise, he was already suggesting me to propose to Elizabeth the day of the ceremony. So you see, the two elements cannot really be dissociated from the other in this case.'

'Oh, I understand now…' _'What made him change his mind about Elizabeth? Especially when this sudden shift of heart happened so far away from her?'_ She wished she could ask him that but never dared; this question was far too intimate.

'By the way, now that I think of it, I am surprise that neither you nor your cousin were present that day; and that we never bumped into each other in Port-Royal, Kingston, or some parties!'

'Yes, I thought about that last detail too…'

'There is this one time when I thought I had seen you, though.'

'Really?' she startled, looking at him with wide eyes. 'Do you remember where?'

'I think it was at Miss Lindon's.'

'Why didn't you come to me back then?'

James looked down, contrite, or was it embarrassment?

'I thought I had imagined you being there…'

'Oh.' She didn't know what to say to that. _'He imagined me, meaning that he thought about me then? Did he miss me?'_

James cleared his throat. 'You didn't answer my question, if I remember correctly; about your absence at the ceremony.'

'Ah yes, sorry. We would have, we had planned it, though of course I didn't know you would be the one being promoted. But my cousin was sick back then, so I decided to take care of her. And the day after, when we heard the news about the attack, I wanted to go join you; but my cousin was still very weak and made me promise not to leave her. So I did stay at her side, until her full recovery.'

'And then you decided to become Ensign Reynolds again?'

'Precisely. This life indoors at wasting my days with small talks, visits to friends or relatives, all-too-proper lady-like activities, that wasn't me. This kind of life stifled me; I longed to be on sea again. Paradoxically, I feel more like myself as Lawrence Reynolds than as Miss Charlotte Reynolds…'

James looked down in embarrassment for the second time this evening. _'Looks like all the subjects I dreaded to even think about came up quicker than expected.'_

'Lawrence… I wanted to apologize about our last encounter. I shouldn't have acted so coldly, especially as you were my friend and that this situation was most embarrassing for you; let alone that the events leading to this… revelation must have been really traumatic to you. I am deeply ashamed by how I behaved back then; I hope one day you will forgive me.'

Lawrence couldn't take it any longer; his confession was so true, you could see the pain in his eyes as he said those words. She wanted to laugh, to hug him, to kiss him. _'Kiss him?'_ she surprised herself. _'Don't you dare think about that again, Lawrence! He is your friend and your superior!'_

Eventually, she extended her arm, folded her hand other his and squeezed it, looking right into his eyes.

'It's all right James, there is nothing to forgive. No please, listen to me, I listened to you without saying a word not a minute ago! As was saying, there is nothing to forgive, you did your duty justly, and justly means putting aside our own feelings. What I did was, and am still doing, well I don't know about that now that you know… Anyway, impersonating someone else's identity, disguising myself as a man, and lying to you about it, thus endangering the reputation of the whole Navy was punishable, if not by death, then by imprisonment. And you decided to let me return to my closest family, without punishment, for that, I am eternally grateful to you. So no, you acted as you should have, and even kindlier than what was expected. There is nothing to forgive; I am the one to thank you.'

As she retracted her hand, James took it in his and held it. He didn't know what to say; didn't know how to feel about it; her forgiveness felt like a weigh lifted off his shoulders; in its place came back this fuzzy feeling in his stomach that made his chest feel warmer.

'Thank you, Lawrence; you can't imagine how much your words mean to me; thank you.'

He gave her smile, but his eyes conveyed his feelings more eloquently.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimers: I don't own POTC.**

**Thank you so so much to all my readers and especially all those who review my story and/or private message me. I love you all dearly!**

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Lawrence came back to her quarters before midnight, very light-headed; this night had seemed so surreal. And James' concerns, his apologies, his smiles, his eyes full of emotions… She could think straight. When she was safely inside, she fell heavily on her bed and hugged tightly against her chest her pillow; her smile as broad as the moon's waxing crescent that was illuminating the night's sky.

She knew she was behaving like a foolish young girl; but for once, she didn't care. If she had ever doubted about her being in love with James, she definitely did not now; she knew she was helplessly in love with and didn't mind admitting it to herself.

She undressed and put on her night shirt, humming a tuneless song.

'Oh James, what have you done of me?' she said softly before falling asleep, still smiling.

In the Commodore's quarters, James was still sat at the table, staring into space. He wondered whereas he should feel guilty about feeling so relieved and happy. The warm sensation that spread through his chest hadn't left him yet; and he realized he rather enjoyed this feeling of warmth and dizziness. Lawrence made him feel so vulnerable and yet he felt as though he could move mountains._ 'I think I understand now how love can lead people to commit strange things… I thought this would never happen to me, but I was wrong, oh so wrong.'_

The morning after, James and Lawrence were in the top deck with the other officers, examining the maps; the _Dauntless _would reach Tortuga by the end of the day. Either it was the feeling of sharing the secret of their late-night meeting, or the conclusions both had personally drawn about the other, the two friends felt closer than ever; countless of times they exchanged quick looks and hidden smiles. Lieutenant Pardy and Commander Johnson were obviously oblivious to what was going on around them.

Before arriving in Tortuga, Lawrence took special care of her appearance and bound her chest with two scarves; '_what happened in Santiago de Cuba would never happen again'_, she promised herself. In spite of all she had heard about this place of iniquity, she couldn't help but feel excited about going there. She knew this place to be dangerous for any man, especially for any officer of the Royal Navy; and her being a female didn't help at all in her case. _'But nothing will go wrong' _she said to herself. _'With James by my sides, I could brave anything; even though I hate feeling so dependent on him.'_

The ship eventually laid anchor and the officers disembarked, followed by a dozen of armed men; if Sparrow was here, he would never be able to escape them.

What first stroke Lawrence with the streets of Tortuga wasn't the sight of drunkards almost everywhere and women loosely dresses, but the awful stench that filled her nostrils; how could a place smell that badly?!

'I think we should split up, Commodore. That way we'll cover more ground and catch Sparrow more quickly' suggested Commander Johnson.

'I was just about to announce the same thing, Commander' said James.

'Why don't we go find him, you and I; and Lieutenant Pardy can go with Ensign Reynolds; let youth be together for once' he winked.

_'No no no, there's no way I'll go roaming those streets with someone I barely know; I'd rather go alone if I can't go with James.'_ Her panic was starting to show; she looked at her friend, eyes wide with worry. Norrington didn't even have to look at her face to make up his mind.

'I'd rather keep an eye myself on our young Ensign; it is after all his first time on this place, and I wouldn't like to see him go in some houses, if you see what I mean…' Which was of course a lie, but James had never thought of leaving Lawrence without him, anything could happen to her, and he would never forgive himself if it did.

'As you wish, Sir, it was only an idea. Well then, let's go find Sparrow first then, Lieutenant Pardy!' Johnson said before walking away in the direction of the first tavern he saw.

'Thank you, James' Lawrence said gratefully.

'There is nothing to thank me for.' James smiled down at her. 'I would never have let you go without me, especially not here. Alright, let's start with the Empty Thrown; if Sparrow is to be found in Tortuga, this tavern would be the place.'

The two of them entered the main street of Tortuga, swarming with suspicious looking men, pirates for most of them, and penniless aristocrats drowning their sorrow with rum and cheap liquor.

'Stay close to me' James said, getting closer to Lawrence to the point where his left hip touched her lower back, his side imbricating hers.

At one corner of a street, a fat bearded man with tattered clothes yelled at them, and insulted the Navy, blaming them for his destitution; the man tried to unsheathe his sword but he was so drunk that the mere action of moving his arm too quickly made him lose his balance and fall on the ground. The other men around didn't look so pleased either to see two Navy officers in the area; some of them started to whisper to their friends' ears, others looked them up and down with a nasty rictus on their face.

James instinctively wrapped his left arm around Lawrence's hips; at this touch so intimate, Lawrence startled a bit, her stomach suddenly becoming fuzzy and her skin warm. She didn't push him away as she would have done with anybody else, she moved even closer than she already was. In his semi-embrace, her body so close to his, she felt safer; his foreign touch soon became natural, almost familiar.

They had forgotten how the two of them looked until one man laughed at them, insinuating shocking things that made them blush. James let go of his hand around her back, but didn't step away anyway. He looked at her, embarrassed, and cleared his throat.

'I, err, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to… I had forgotten I was holding you, in case you needed protection of course…'

Lawrence's cheeks were bright red, which made her eyes shine brighter, James noticed.

'It's, it's alright. I don't mind… I mean, err, it's all fine. No harm done.' The place where his hand had been felt too cold now, she wished he had ignored the man and held her forever.

_'My God, I'm such a foolish girl; I need to stop like that, it's not proper!'_

_'Why did I do that?'_ James admonished himself. _'You're disgusting James; taking advantage of her in such a way, in such a sordid place…'_ He felt really angry with himself at that moment, but still, I longed to hold her this close again; it just felt right to him.

Neither of them said a word until they reached the famous Empty Thrown.

'Have you seen the _Black Pearl_ recently? Or her captain, Jack Sparrow?' Norrington asked the keeper of the tavern in hushed voice.

'Maybe that I have, maybe I have not… Depends on the gold, _Sir_' the man replied, giving him a false smile.

James huffed and gave him two golden coins.

'I've seen Sparrow, he's been here for a week now. I can't whether he's still here or not, but he was in my tavern not two days ago, looking for new crewmembers.'

'Do you know where he's staying?'

'Maybe, maybe not…'

James gave him another gold coin, getting weary of this man.

'I don't know where he sleeps.'

'I can't give you any more money!' said James, his anger rising. 'Now, tell me where is Sparrow!' He seized the man by the collar of his shirt.

'I've just told you, I don't know!' said the man with difficulty, his face turning red.

'James, stop, stop it!' Lawrence interfered, seizing James's hand and lowering it down to let the man go free. She placed her hand upon his and placed her left hand on his right shoulder, looking at him right in the eyes, smiling softly to appease his anger.

'He said he didn't know. I know you hate this pirate and want to be done with him for ever, but we'll find him; he can't be too far.'

Norrington lowered his eyes and nodded, ashamed of his irrational behaviour in front of Lawrence.

'You're right. Let's try someplace else then.'

The night had started to fall; soon they wouldn't be able to search the streets because the dark would make their situation too perilous.

They entered another tavern, overcrowded with people.

'Let's find a table and eat something, I'm starving!' Lawrence said to lighten the mood and also because she was indeed starving and wanted to taste whatever foul dish would be served to her.

'I'm glad you suggested it, I'm hungry too' he laughed, his anger now vanished. It's only when she moved slightly away from him that he realized they were holding hands; she hadn't let go of his hand when she had stopped him from hurting the man and lead into the streets.

Lawrence hadn't realized it either, so she was surprised to find resistance as she was walking towards a table. She looked at their hands intertwined then looked at him, letting it go.

'Sorry' she said with a small smile, her cheeks starting to turn red.

They ordered some chicken and potatoes with two beers and ate in silence, watching with attention all the faces around them and the people coming in and out.

'Have you ever met female pirates, or is it just a legend?' Lawrence asked, curious.

'I have two of them; one was with Sparrow now that I come to think of it… Why do you ask?'

'Oh, I was just wondering. I find it strange that pirates are more open on this matter than the Navy or any other institution of the colonies.'

'You're not considering piracy, are you?' James raised his eyebrows, amused but with a bit a worry in his voice too.

'God forbid, _never_! Pirates are so immoral, and barbarous, and crude; I will never become a pirate, even if everything around me has fallen to pieces. And look at those men, James' she said, pointing to some drunkards at the other end of the tavern, 'Such a disgrace; by the look of them, I'm sure they were good and proper gentlemen, once. And now they have nothing but drinks and women of easy virtue!'

James nodded approvingly. 'Yes, I can't imagine how a man can fall that low and have no dignity left in him. I'd rather die than become like them…'

'I don't think we'll find him tonight, it's too dark and too late. We might as well stay for a while now that we're here; unless you want to go back to the ship?'

'Oh no please, let's stay a while longer! Being in such a place is so thrilling, I've never really had the occasion before.'

'Good, I don't want to go back either.' He smiled and asked a waitress two other beers.

'Are you trying to make me drunk, James?' she laughed when her second beer had arrived. She had never drunk much alcohol in her previous years, and so the first pint of beer was already starting to get to her head.

Her friend laughed with her; he hadn't realized that she wasn't used to alcohol as much as he was.

'Sometimes I forget how young you are, Lawrence…' he said, still smiling and looking at her reddening face.

'Is that bad?'

'No, no, don't worry. It's just that… I can't believe we've met only a year ago! It feels like I've known you as long as Theodore or Andrew. And yet, you're so much younger than me, it seems unreal.'

'Is ten years that much? I know ladies married to someone twice their age, sometimes more! ... Not that I, err… It's not comparable in the least, but… you see what I mean…' _'Marriage, really? Couldn't you be more obvious about your feelings, Lawrence? Ugh, I need to stop drinking alcohol, it really troubles my way of thinking!'_

James laughed to see her so embarrassed; though she had a point, people married with age gap wider than ten years. _'I know she is right for me, I cannot imagine living with anyone else. And she does seem to like me, I think. Maybe I should propose to her someday…'_


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimers: POTC isn't mine nor is Norrington, unfortunately.**

**Once again, thanks everyone, you are amazing!**

* * *

'James, what are you thinking about? You seem worried…' Lawrence asked him when she saw is vacant look on his face.

He shook his head to gather his thoughts.

'I was thinking that it would be more prudent if we stayed for the night in this tavern; considering our uniforms and the frequentation of the streets of Tortuga, I wouldn't take the risk of you getting harmed on the way back to the _Dauntless_.'

'Is it that risky?' she said, rising up to look at the people around them, alcohol starting to play on her mind. 'It's nothing we can't handle, James; you and I both know how to use a sword, that's all that matters.' She went to the entrance door, followed closely by James who took her arm.

'Yes, it is too risky, let's go back to our table before anyone takes it from us.' He led her back inside and started towards their table when a group of drunkards burst in through the door at the same time. His hand let go of her hand in the commotion; turned round but realized with dread that the new comers where too numerous; he had lost sight of Lawrence.

'Lawrence!' he shouted, eyes anxiously looking everywhere._ 'No, no, no, this can't be happening. She was just there, she can't have disappeared. Where is she? Oh James, what have you done!'_ His mind was racing, his blood pumping through his veins, fear arising.

'Lawrence!' he called again. Then he finally saw her elbowing her way through the small crowd.

'I'm here James! I'm here.'

He put his hands on her shoulders, looking at her.

'Never do that again! I thought I had lost you!' _'God, how I want to hug her right now. I would have been devastated had anything happened to her.'_

She frowned.

'It's alright James, I'm here now. I was barely out of sight for a minute.'

'A minute can be fatal in such a place!' He took her by the hand and led her to their table.

Emboldened by her consumption of alcohol, she stared at him and pointed her finger at him.

'I'm going to be frank with you. I've promised Andrew and Theodore to treat you as I treat them, and that's what I'm going to do now. You, James Norrington, need to stop worrying too much and relax for a bit. You're always so tensed wherever we go; your hair will be as white as your wig is you continue!'

James startled at her words; he wasn't expecting her to be so franc with him; not that he disapproved, on the contrary. He lowered her accusing hand to the table with his and kept it here, over hers. He sighed and looked at the people around, to avoid looking at her.

'Maybe I have my reasons…' His voice was lower, as though he was more talking to himself than to her.

'Are you sulking?'

James did not answer as he didn't hear her question, too lost in his thoughts that he was.

Lawrence waited for a short moment and sighed.

'At least, Captain Krupke always found something to talk about… Maybe I should have stayed and married him after all…' she said as a joke to herself.

_'Captain Krupke… stayed… married him…'_ 'What was that?' James turned round, eyes wide, lips slightly parted.

'What?'

'What you just said…'

'Ah that!' she said, happy to know that he wasn't sulking anymore.

'So…?' He raised an eyebrow. 'Are you engaged, Lawrence?' His stomach tightened at the thought; he took his hand off hers.

'No! God no, I'm not_ engaged_.'

'Did that Captain Krupke propose to you, and you refused him?' _'Whoever this Krupke is, I swear, I'll-'_

'He didn't, but he would have had I stayed in Port-Royal. His intentions were obvious to many, including myself in the end.'

'Why did you go away before he proposed then?' he asked with difficulty; he simply couldn't imagine her being courted by any other man, and even less being married to the said man.

'Because I didn't want to marry him, however nice he was. My cousin thought I was a fool, but I would never marry someone you can't give me the kind of life I want, someone I don't love.'

James swallowed with difficulty. 'And what kind of life do you want?'

Lawrence didn't answer at first; she thought that if James really was the observant man she loved and found to be right for her, he would know.

'You tell me, James. What do you think it is that I want?' She asked him, giving him an inebriated smile, her head resting on in her palm.

_'Why does she have to look so lovely even when she's drunk?'_ 'Well,' he started, 'I would say… a life of danger, a life at sea, away from the dullness of country life and parties. A life where you can freely be yourself. A life with someone who challenges you intellectually and who agrees with this wildness you have within yourself. Someone who would look after you but that you could look after in an equal way too…'

Lawrence sobered instantly, her face becoming suddenly serious; she looked at his eyes and noticed they were greener than ever, burning with a kind of warmth she had rarely seen in them so far.

'Oh dear… I guess you really know me then… Then again, I should have known, being the great observer that you are, I guess you can tell whatever anybody wants. It's the first thing I've noticed when I first met you, by the way, your sharp eye.'

'Did you?' he asked her, surprised by both her sudden sobriety and her observation.

'Yes; you had barely seen the crew of the _Daisy of the sea_ that you already spotted that something was wrong with me. That takes an acute vision to notice this in so short a time.'

'Ah, yes, I remember. I am still amazed by how Fate has brought us together so many times.'

'It may be that we are destined to do great things together then, Commodore Norrington' she smiled, enjoying this thought.

Just when they had finished the last drop of their ales, two women loosely clothes approached them; one of them could have been really pretty if not for the extravagant make-up she wore. Lawrence felt sorry for her, she realized she must have been around her own age and was sorry that she was already practicing such a profession. The other one had distinctive red curly hair and looked older; she was also more voluptuous, her breasts were barely hidden by her bodice.

'Well, hello gentlemen!' the red-haired woman said in a suave voice.

'Can we be of any service?' the younger one said, batting her lashes. She put her arms around James' neck and sat on his lap while her friend hovered over Lawrence, imposing her large breasts to her sight.

James froze at the sudden attention given to him; all of the moments of the evening, these two women had to choose now! He shifted in his seat, trying to push away as politely as possible the young woman.

'What is it, are you shy?'

'Madam, I am afraid you must be mistaken; my friend and I aren't seeking any of your… favours. I think you should-'

'Tut tut, pretty one! No need to hide yourself behind a false excuse!'

'And look at you!' the older woman said to Lawrence. 'You look so young! Have you ever been with a woman before, boy? I can take care of you very well you know, and you will never forget that night, I promise!'

Lawrence had not said a word since the arrival of the two women, she had frozen into place and was staring at James and that young woman.

'I'm afraid I must insist, I am no interested in-'

'You don't find me pretty enough perhaps?' she asked him with an air of shock.

'It's not that, you are very charming, however I-'

'It's all right, in the dark it's all the same you know, you can pretend that it's her; I can even let you call me by her name if you want!' she coaxed him, caressing his cheek.

James suddenly rose from his seat, almost making the young girl fall, but effectively breaking all contact.

'I said, we are not interested!' he said with more authority, his face serious.

'No need to be angry, _sir_. We won't trouble you anymore. Come Betsy!' she said to her friend who had let go of Lawrence.

'You're right, they're not worth our time. That one is either mute or simple.'

'And I've never been refused before' added her younger friend. 'Perhaps he's more into boys after all. Sick people!' she spat before leaving with the red-hair woman.

James and Lawrence looked at each other, wide-eyed, then roared with laughter.

'That was quite something!'

'I agree, and every awkward too…'

'You know, you could have followed her… I wouldn't have minded' she lied, not meaning any word she said. 'After all, she is pretty and much younger than the other one…'

James looked at her in shock.

'I would never have followed, as flattering as it is. After all, she said it herself, I'm more into boys!' He gave her a wink and smiled.

Lawrence felt her cheeks turning red. _'How am I supposed to interpret that?! James, you should do this to me…'_

'Well, I think this episode was our queue to go to sleep. Come on, we'll take the first two vacant bedrooms they have.'

He waited for her to join him, went to the counter and asked for two rooms.

'I've got plenty, but only one "clean", the others are ridden with flea and bed-bugs, so don't say I didn't warn you! Also there's the common chamber if you want…'

_'There's no way I'm sleeping in a bed with vermin in it…'_ Lawrence thought, disgusted by the idea. _'And sleeping in the same room as the other customers might be too dangerous.'_

'We'll take your clean one. I do hope the bed is double!' she said before James could say anything. She wouldn't let him sleep in an insalubrious room.

'Yes it is, a very big one!'

'Good, we'll take it now, if you please.'

'But of course, follow me.' The man wasn't surprised in the least by the outcome; he had seen many times men take a same room just to share a bed; and if those men were more than friends, then he didn't mind in the least as long as they didn't cause any trouble.

James was very surprised by Lawrence initiative; he would never have dared make such a proposition; but apparently he didn't have his word to say in the situation, maybe because she already knew she would refuse his idea.

They paid the man and entered the room; Lawrence had expected the room to be spacious, as the man had promised a large bed, but in reality, the only thing large was the said bed and nothing else; it took almost all the space, except for a corner where a screen was drawn.

'Lawrence, maybe we should have-'

'No James, I know what you're thinking, and I insist. It was either this, or bringing disease on board of the ship, or being robbed or killed.'

'You do realise that it isn't proper for a man and a woman not married to sleep together in the same bed…'

Lawrence rolled her eyes. _'Oh James, your manners can be so endearing sometimes!'_

'Of course I know! But you know as well as I do that there isn't anything proper or conventional about our present situation. I am a woman pretending to be her dead brother and you are knowingly covering for me so that I may sail the sea. I can hardly become any stranger. And besides, we're friends, I trust you with my life; I know everything is fine' she smiled, reassuringly.

'You will never cease to surprise me, Lawrence, I'll grant you that!'

She laughed, happy to see he agreed with her idea, even though she'd kind of forced it on him.

'Well, it isn't all, but I'm tired and we'll need to start early tomorrow…'

She went behind the screen to wash her hands and her face and unbind her scarves; she had come to realise after one year that binding her chest day and night was very unpleasant and might cause serious damage. She also untied her hair and untangled them as best as possible with her fingers.

Once she came from behind the screen, James noticed the scarves she was holding in her hand; for a moment he had almost asked her what it was before he realised their real purpose and turned his head, embarrassed. Luckily for him, Lawrence didn't notice his shift of emotion, only that he had taken his jacket and boots off.

When she passed him, James cleared his throat, gesturing awkwardly to the screen.

'I, hum, I'm going to wash my face too…'

Lawrence eyed him suspiciously, wondering what was wrong this him.

'Alright!' she nodded before taking off her boots and jumping in the left side of the bed. She used her scarves as a pillow and laid down her head, lying on one side and watching absentmindedly the screen until she closed her heavy eyes.

She didn't hear James bare feet on the wood, but felt a heavy weigh on the other side of the bed; she felt too sleepy to open her eyes or even think about the fact that she was about to share a bed with the man she loved.

James lied down on his side and realised that of course she had given him the only pillow, without his saying so. He rolled his eyes at her stubbornness and smiled at the sight of her being so relaxed, with her luscious blond hair framing her delicate face, her shirt seeming fuller than before, and her bare feet curled around the other. In that moment, he desperately wanted to kiss her lips, or even a chaste kiss on her brow, but thought better of it. He looked at her face another time, turned round to blow the candle and mirrored her position, his face facing hers.

'Sleep well Sweet Lawrence' he said, thinking her asleep.

' 'night James' she said drowsily.

After a few hours, Lawrence awoke and opened her eyes. The faint light coming through the shades was enough for her to see; she smiled fondly at the sight of James sleeping soundly, his brow untroubled, his eyelids neatly closed, his lips slightly parted, his chest rising and falling. Maybe it was the state of being half-asleep or her foolishness, but she leaned her head and delicately kissed his forehead.

'Sleep well, Dear James' she whispered before falling back into sleep.

In the morning, Lawrence awoke suddenly; something was moving beneath her head! She froze, and closed her eyes fearing that it was a serpent. James had just awoken and was stirring but he felt a heavy weigh on his shoulder; he realized that Lawrence was asleep, her head over him. He tried to remain as still as possible, fearing to wake her up too quickly, oblivious to the fact that she was already awake and also secretly enjoying this intimate contact with her; he didn't know why but again it didn't feel out of place or strange.

The two of them lied awake for a couple of minutes, both in a completely different state of mind.

Lawrence finally gathered her strength and prepared herself to affront a snake; she quickly startled and rolled out of bed, falling on the floor.

'Lawrence!' James exclaimed, instantly rising up and coming over to help her to her feet.

'Are you alright?' he asked, worried. 'Are you hurt?'

'I'm fine,' she said, out of breath, 'but where's the snake?'

James furrowed his brow. 'A snake?'

'Yes, I felt it under my head when I woke up, it was moving…' she looked everywhere, eyes wide with fear.

Only then did James realise what she was talking about and laughed.

'It wasn't a snake Lawrence, it-it was me. You fell asleep on my shoulder and…'

'Oh no, I didn't!' She looked at him, eyes wide with shock and her cheeks turning bright red. 'I'm so sorry James, I didn't know… I would never… I…'

James shook his head in disbelief, smiling.

'It's alright, you did nothing wrong.' He grabbed his boots and started putting them on.

'Breakfast?' she asked him to hide her embarrassment.

'Great, I'm starving!'

* * *

**NB: And yaaayyy to me, I've reached by objective of writing 50,000 words in less than a month.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimers: I don't own POTC nor its characters.**

**Thank you, thank you everyone, you are awesome!**

* * *

'James, why did you give me an orange out of all the fruits there were?' a puzzled Lawrence asked him when they were walking down the now safe streets of Tortuga, well, considering.

Her friend shrugged. 'I know you love oranges.'

'But how? I don't remember telling you that…'

James looked at her and smiled.

'It is one of the first things I've learned about you. I may have been interested in the singular persona that you are since you first set foot upon the _Dauntless_.'

Lawrence raised an eyebrow, both amused and touched by what he was implying.

'You've mentioned it once to Theodore, if I remember well' he added.

'Well thank you for your kind gesture and the attention you've given me for so long' she smiled, squeezing his right hand; she didn't know why, but she felt the need to touch him whenever she could. She remembered when he had put his arm around her waist, when they had held hands in the dark streets or in the tavern, and… _'Oh! I've slept in the same bed as he did!'_ she realized suddenly, blushing furiously. _'And I even slept on his shoulder for a while, and he knew it but didn't say anything to embarrass me! Show me a gentleman finer than him…'_

They went to a few taverns to inquire about Sparrow, but no one had seen him since two or three days; their last hope was to check at the harbour, and even there they were deceived for the _Pearl_ had indeed left two days ago.

'I'm sorry we've wasted some precious time by staying for the night; we should have asked here first…' Lawrence said, disappointed by the outcome of the situation.

'Not all of it was wasted time, Lawrence. That way, you have had your first real experience of Tortuga!'

'Yes, you're right, and it's been an experience quite satisfying, if I may say so.'

None of them would voice it, but both were thinking about how last night had brought them closer than ever to the other.

Having nothing else to do, they went back to the _Dauntless_ and waited for the remaining crewmembers to board the ship.

'James, can I ask you a weird question?' Lawrence ventured, looking at her friend with narrow eyes.

'Of course Lawrence, anything you want' he smiled to encourage her.

'Hum, what's in your pocket?'

'My pocket?' he said, raising his eyebrows.

'Yes, I've noticed you keep fiddling with something without really paying attention to it, and I was wondering what it was.'

James nodded and took out…

'A ribbon?' Lawrence asked, amused.

James looked at the black bow he was holding and at Lawrence in turn; his face turned suddenly to embarrassment.

'Ah, err, yes, it…' he untied the bow and smoothed the silk of the ribbon, handing it to her. 'It was yours actually. I-I don't know why I kept it; it had slipped off your hair in Santiago de Cuba, when, you know…' He couldn't look at her in the eye; this was one of the rare occasions when James Norrington felt embarrassed, and once again, Lawrence was there.

'Oh. I didn't you had it; I had completely forgotten about it!' She closed his hand on the ribbon and let her own hand on his. 'You can keep it if you want, I don't need it.'

_'He had kept my ribbon all this time with him, as a kind of lucky charm or something… Oh James, please, don't tell me you don't love me, I wouldn't believe you! Not after everything that has happened recently.'_ Her heart beat faster, maybe she was deluded, but she wanted to believe it; she felt she had to tell him about her feelings, she needed to be sure.

'James, there's something I need to tell you, I-'

'All the men are aboard, Sir!' said Lieutenant Pardy as he went to take his place beside Norrington.

In this instant, James closed his eyes in frustration then nodded, regaining his calm.

'Thank you, Lieutenant.' He gave order to weigh anchor and the ship slowly took to the open sea.

'Are we going to Nassau then, Captain?'

'No, we'll first go to the Isla de Muerte, then Nassau.'

James smiled faintly at Lawrence, his deep green eyes looking at her softy as a way to apologise, then followed his lieutenant to where the map and charts were.

Lawrence felt as frustrated as he was but understood that she couldn't have him for herself all the time. As she was seating on the top stairs, watching the crew doing their assigned tasks, she heard some commotion below. She frowned and climbed down the stairs.

'What is it, Mr. Clemens?' she asked a man who was arguing with his friend.

'Billy's got himself injured in a fight last night, and he won't clean it.'

'Is that true, Mr. Harish? May I look? We wouldn't want to lose you because of a festering wound, would we? It would make quite an inglorious death, if you ask me.'

The injured man reluctantly lifted his shirt and showed her the cut on his left side.

'I didn't want to trouble anyone with this trifle, Sir. It's but a tiny cut…'

'Nonsense. Let's go to the medicine quarters, I have the right thing for that kind of injury.'

'Where are all my sea-weeds pastes? They can't have all been used since I left this ship!' Lawrence said angrily, looking around to find her old concoctions.

Doctor Hunter entered the medicine quarters, frowning.

'What are you doing in my quarters, Ensign?'

'What have you done with my sea-weeds? And those are not your quarters more than anyone else's.'

'And I say they are mine as _I_ am the doctor on board.'

'I must insist, they are everyone's! Besides, that doesn't explain what you've done with my sea-weeds ointments.'

'Ah, so it was yours! I threw them the first day I took post on board.'

'Why did you do that! It was more efficient than any other thing we have on board; it did save lives!'

'That's it, I've got enough with your insolence, you have no word to say in the matter of curing anyone. Just wait here, we'll see what the Commodore has to say!'

He left the quarters quickly, happy to be zealous for once.

Lawrence tried to calm her nerves and sighed; she usually wasn't one for getting easily angry but when it came to the lives of people, she couldn't stand negligence.

'Just wait for me here, Mr. Harish. I will see to your wound in a minute.'

She hurried to the hold of the ship and came back with a few sea-weeds that she was already pounding. When Doctor Hunter came back with a most unpleased Commodore Norrington, the preparation for the ointment was almost finished.

'What the Hell are you doing now!' said Hunter taking the wooden bowl from her hands.

Lawrence looked at him, her jaw clenched, looking daggers at him.

'Can you explain what this is all about now, Doctor Hunter?' asked Norrington with a stern voice.

'Ensign Reynolds pretends to know medicine better than I do; he says he's as entitled as I am to use the medicine quarters. And look at this!' he showed him the sea-weed past with a disgusted look. 'He keeps going on about his precious sea-weeds. I'm telling you, he wants to kill our men!' He looked at Lawrence and sneered. 'What are you, a bloody woman to believe in this kind of witchcraft?' He turned to his superior, hoping to see him laugh and share his opinion, but he was greatly disappointed.

James knew Lawrence would have never said such a thing out loud; looking at her, he was impressed by her calm-demeanour, even though he knew perfectly well how revolted she felt.

'Doctor Hunter, the methods of Ensign Reynolds are safe and have proven to be life-saving. These sea-weeds have saved my life a couple of months ago, so I know for a fact that they are efficient. I would appreciate it if you would allow her to see to Mr. Harish's wound.'

'But, Sir, he isn't qualif-'

'That's an order, Mr. Hunter!'

The doctor was outraged but complied eventually, though unwillingly.

'As you command, Sir.' He cast an angry look at Lawrence then sat on a table at the other side of the quarters, looking at her taking care of the injured man.

James wanted to touch her shoulder and tell her that it was nothing, that she shouldn't care about this man; he was the Captain of this ship, he trusted her, and that was all that mattered. But he didn't say a word; she was clever enough to already know that, and they were not alone. He gave her a small smile and left, thinking how much he couldn't wait to talk to her again tonight.

Hunter was obviously very angry as the situation hadn't turned out as he expected; he even started to get suspicious; something was up between the Commodore and the Ensign, they looked too close.

Once she was done with her patient, she told him he could go and went to Doctor Hunter.

He had told her nasty words and called her girls' names from the moment James had left the quarters, and she had ignored them calmly; however she felt that she had to say something to him; she didn't like this atmosphere. Life at sea was hard enough without having silly quarrels on board.

'Doctor Hunter…'

'Oh, I'm still a doctor to you, then?' he sneered, but she ignored his remark.

'I wanted to apologise; I know you are the doctor on board and I shouldn't have gotten in your way. It's just that I know this natural trick to be very efficient, and Mr. Harish had shown me his wound, so I thought I could take care of it before troubling you with such a minor wound.'

'I don't care about your excuses, _Polly_.'

Lawrence saw that it was desperate; she shrugged and went out to look at the sea from the forepart of the ship.

On their way to Isla de Muerte, the _Dauntless_ passed by another Navy ship that told them they had seen the Black Pearl sailing off to the East, possibly Africa judging by their course.

The officers gathered and concluded they would trust this new piece of information and head to the Mediterranean Sea. The trip would be perilous but they took that risk, Sparrow had to be stopped.

James had hoped to talk to his friend alone tonight, but the evening had turned out differently as Doctor Hunter, Commander Johnson and Lieutenant Pardy were also present in his quarters to talk about their new plans. At one point, Commander Johnson asked Lawrence to help him with his paperwork, as his sight was declining and he would appreciate to have a new company. Lawrence accepted good-heartedly, thinking this task would be quickly done, but the day after, she was astounded by the amount of papers she had to help him with. This would definitely take weeks to get all of it done, especially since the Commander didn't help her in the least, pretending he needed fresh air for his lungs, or he'd feel seasick in very little time.

The time she spent in Johnson's quarters was time she couldn't spend with James, but she accepted this mild sacrifice; after all, she could see him anytime she wanted, and she was happy to be of any help, even though she was clearly being cheated.

James regretted he couldn't see his friend as much as before; especially since she could join him for their "private meetings" only once or twice a week now.

'I wish we didn't have to hide as much' he said one evening, sighing.

'I agree; it was so much better when Andrew and Theodore were with us… Now you're stuck with only me as company.'

'Yes, I do miss them too… But I must say that so far I haven't been disappointed' he said, smiling.


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimers: I don't own POTC nor it's characters.**

**Thank you so so much to all my readers, you are amazing and I love you!**

* * *

'Sir, the men have stopped working' said Lieutenant Pardy one morning.

Norrington looked up from the charts with eyes wide with stupefaction.

'Why is that, Lieutenant?'

'I don't know, Sir; they wouldn't tell me…'

'Alright, I'll see to it then; thank you, you have the helm, Pardy.'

The members of the crew had gathered on the main deck; some wore sly smiles, others angry faces.

'Gentlemen' said Norrington with a composed voice, 'May I know what this is all about?'

A study looking man stepped up, his arms crossed over his chest.

'Why are we going to Africa, Captain? We never signed up for such a dangerous journey. It's wasn't what was planned!'

'Indeed it isn't where we were supposed to go; but we have to go wherever the_ Pearl_ is. I understand your disappointment, and I am not so pleased either to sail so far away… Now, is there something else I can do for you?'

'Turn round and go back to Port-Royal' another shouted.

'You know I cannot do this… If there is nothing else you wish to say, I must go back to my post.'

James left under whispers of discontent and angry looks. 'A mutiny is the last thing I need right now' he said to himself as he went to the quarters' deck. He needed to speak to Lawrence, to tell her about this incident; she would know how to comfort him.

Knowing that the Commander was on the top deck, he softly knocked on Johnson's door and entered.

'Lawrence, do you have a minute to spare?'

She raised her tired eyes circled by dark circles, and gave him a small smile.

'Of course James!' she rose up, cracking her back.

'You're working way too much for Commander Johnson, what does he do to you in return?' he asked, worried.

'I'm happy to help him… So, what did you want to talk to me about? Is there something wrong?'

James leaned on the table, his brow furrowed.

'The crew has stopped doing their tasks assigned; they are blaming me for the turn of events. They want to go back to Port-Royal… In all my years spent at sea, I have never faced a mutiny before; what do I do, Lawrence?'

'There will be no mutiny, James; don't worry. James, look at me' she said cupping his left cheek with her hand. 'You are the best man and the best officer I know; everyone reckons it, so don't worry, everything will be fine. There will be no mutiny' she stroked his cheek once then withdrew her hand.

Her stroke sent shivers down James' spine; in that instant he wanted to take her in his arms and never let go; but he heard footsteps approaching so he did no such thing.

Commander Johnson entered his quarters and saw the Commodore and the young Ensign physically close to each other.

James walked away and saluted briefly the commander before leaving the quarters watching over his shoulder to give Lawrence a quick smile.

The commander eyed them suspiciously and looked at Lawrence.

'Not getting into any trouble I hope?'

'No sir, the Commodore was merely asking me a question about the course of our previous journey.'

Johnson nodded, still unsure.

'You would tell me if there was any problem between you and Commodore Norrington? I know his high rank may grant some powers but there are things he ca-'

Lawrence was shocked by his insinuations. '_How could he think such things, how can he think of James in such a way?!' _'Commander Johnson, I assure you, you must be mistaken, there is absolutely no problem.'

The commander wasn't convinced but left it to it and said before leaving his quarters:

'Alright then, hum… I'm needed upstairs; keep on the good work, Reynolds.'

This night, she was too tired to see James in his quarters but she went anyway; her friend needed to be cheered up, so she regaled him with stories of her childhood. Due to the recent events, she had preferred not to tell him about her feelings at the moment; for now he needed a friend, and she was here for that. She also decided not to tell him about Johnson's insinuations for fear of James' reaction; she knew there was a certain kind of anger within him that could be very devastating, and she wasn't sure how she would handle it if it burst out.

In the meantime, Doctor Hunter, Commander Johnson, and Lieutenant Pardy had gathered to share their suspicions about Norrington and Reynolds' behaviour; to them, there was something going on. They had noticed that the young Ensign often went to the Commodore's quarters in the evenings, while they only were invited once a week; so they decided to caught them red handed on whatever it was they were doing by sending Lieutenant Pardy to Norrington's quarters this very night.

James and Lawrence were both surprised to hear someone knock on the door past 2200. James looked at her astonished and went to open the door.

'Lieutenant Pardy? Is something the matter?'

Pardy looked around, expecting to catch them in a compromising position but notice that Lawrence was quietly sat at the table, her face emotionless.

'Err, yes, Sir; there is something I must say to you, _privately_…'

James raised an eyebrow and showed him the way out.

'Maybe we should talk about it on the deck then.' Then he turned to Lawrence to tell her to stay, he didn't want their evening to be shortened by Pardy's intervention. 'I'll be right back, Ensign Reynolds.'

Lawrence nodded, wondering what it was all about.

'I'll just rest my eyes for a while, that way I'll be more awake when he's back' she said to herself once the door was closed, lying her head over her arms on the table.

As it turned out, Pardy had nothing to ask to James, and merely invented a last minute excuse about the course they had to follow, much to James' exasperation. He dismissed him very calmly and went back to his quarters.

Lawrence was soundly sleeping on the table, her lips slightly parted. James shook his head at the sight and smiled.

'You work too much, Lawrence…' He sighed and slid an arm under her knees, the other under her arms, and carried her for a few strides to his bed, where he delicately laid her to sleep in his beddings. He took off her boots, put them on the floor, and smoothed her hair. His chest felt so warm, he couldn't help smile at the sweet sight; he leaned his head and kissed her brow before smoothing her hair.

'Sleep well, Sweet Lawrence.' He smiled again and fell asleep in his chair a few moments later.

When Lawrence woke up the next morning, she looked around, her eyes narrowed, thinking she was still asleep.

'Why am I here? Why am I sleeping in James' bed? And… where is he then?'

Still unsure about what was real and what wasn't, she rose, put on her boots and her jacket, and went out.

_'Ok, it looks rather real to me… so that doesn't explain why I was sleeping in his bed.'_

She saw him walking down the main deck, exchanging a few words of encouragement with the men who had refused to work the day before.

She decided to play him a trick and followed him as silently as she could, using the position of the sun to her advantage so that he wouldn't see her shadow.

When she saw no one was around, she touched his shoulder with the tip of her fingers. James startled at this unexpected touch and furtively grabbed her wrist and yanked her over so that she faced him, his chest touching hers. Lawrence, who wasn't expecting his reflexes to be so sharp, lost her balance and half fell on him.

'Lawrence!' James smiled, amused to see her feel so dizzy.

'My God, James, are you trying to kill me? Imagine if I had fallen over board!'

He shrugged.

'I would have jumped to rescue you of course…'

'Oh, aren't you sweet?' she gently mocked him, smiling back.

'Yes, I do reckon I am, indeed!' he laughed. 'How did you sleep by the way?' he said, giving her a mischievous grin.

Lawrence narrowed her eyes, biting her cheek before replying.

'So it wasn't a dream then… Why did I sleep in your bed?' she asked, embarrassment and incredulity rising crescendo.

James answered her, his voice low.

'You fell asleep, so it was either my bed or the table.'

'But… where did you sleep? You could have woken me up, instead of… oh Lord, did you carry me?' Her cheeks coloured instantly.

'Yes I did, like a blushing bride.'

_'What?'_

'James!' she smacked his forearm. 'Don't say such things…' _'What is going on with him? Why is he saying such ambiguous words, especially considering the situation?'_ She looked at his eyes and noticed they were shining with warmth. _'Why is he so joyful and open lately?'_

James rolled his eyes, and warned her before continuing his tour:

'Be careful not to startle me too much, next time I might throw you overboard and I wouldn't be very pleased by taking a cold swim in this weather.' He pointed to the sky; indeed the wind was blowing rather fast.

'Right. Hum. Thank you anyway, for… last night; you really shouldn't have but… I'm really touched, thank you once again.' She bowed and returned quickly to her quarters to change her clothes and wash her face; this charged atmosphere was driving her mind crazy, she was afraid she might do something stupid, such as kissing him in front of everyone, or even giving a mere hug.

Around noon, Lawrence came to the crew's quarters to see how Mr. Harish's wound was healing; on her way, she heard men mention Norrington and the other _wigmen_; sensing something was up, she remained in the darkness and decided to eavesdrop. She wasn't disappointed by what she found out, the men were plotting against James! She didn't hear what they were planning to do, but that didn't sound good. Seizing her courage with both hands, she stepped out and faced them.

'May I ask what this is all about, gentlemen?'

'None of your concern' replied one of them in a threatening manner.

'Oh, but I do think it concerns me if what I heard is true… What exactly are you reproaching our Commodore of doing?'

'Like he hasn't told you yet!' sneered another.

'You do realise that Commodore Norrington is doing everything he can to accomplish this mission successfully as fast as he can? He isn't pleased either to sail this far away from home just to catch a pirate; but it is an order he must follow, no matter how he personally feels about it.' She looked at each of them right in the eyes, knowing how tiny she looked compared to their large built. 'He is just like you; we are all in this together and must do our best to finish it in the best way possible, without trouble of any kind. Do you think many captains of ships are as considerate as he is with their crew? I know for a fact that he is one of the rare exceptions, and one day you will look back with pride on the time you spent under his command, for he is a just and honest Captain.' She cleared her throat, her face still emotionless. 'That being said, I hope you will take my words into consideration. I wish you a good day.' She slightly bowed and went out, forgetting about why she had come here at first.

'Ship ahead!' shouted the man in the crow's nest. 'Sir, it's the _Black Pearl_! We've found them!'


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimers: POTC isn't mine, nor are its characters.**

**Thank you to everyone who has read this story, followed it, reviewed it, and favorited it. I am so touched by your kindness, thank you.**

* * *

'At last!' exclaimed James with relief. 'Thank you, Mr. Baker. Keep a good watch on the land as well; we must not be too far from Africa I think…'

When she heard the announcement, Lawrence ran to the top deck.

'What is the plan now?'

'Bring Sparrow back to Port-Royal, alive.' He tilted his head on the side as he watched her.

'Now that I think of it, you haven't met him yet, have you?'

'No, indeed… The only pirates I've seen were during the attack we've faced together and in Tortuga.'

'Then you won't be disappointed by that one; he is one of the most… unpredictable pirates I've ever met.'

'After all I've heard about him, I can't wait to finally make his acquaintance.'

James frowned seeing how enthusiastic she was; he knew that there was something about Sparrow that drew women to him, and he feared Lawrence wouldn't be the exception.

'Just… When you see him, promise me not to trust him; Sparrow is treacherous and manipulative; he would harm you without any remorse…'

'James, he's a pirate, why would I ever trust him? And besides, I know nothing will happen to me as long as I'm with you; I've already told you that.' She smiled at him, touching his hand briefly before they raised any suspicions.

The _Dauntless_ followed the _Pearl_'s course for hours but no matter how fast they sailed, they pained to reach the pirate ship. The more they sailed, the closer the African coasts were; but they couldn't afford to stop anywhere; the end was so near. When they crossed the strait of Gibraltar, the _Dauntless_ finally caught up with the ship she was following; James ordered his men to stand ready to board at any moment.

The wind had stopped blowing, the air was heavy, the sky yellowish, and the _Dauntless_ pained to advance; a storm was brewing, and it would be a harsh one.

At one point, the winds gained a sudden force and blew harder than ever, the sky was filled with dark clouds, then the rain started to pour heavily on them; it wasn't a mere storm, but a hurricane.

The men on board were restless; some had already taken shelter in their quarters while the others, drenched to the bone, tried to follow their orders.

The _Dauntless_ swayed, rocked by the waves and the violent winds. In the tumult, they had completely lost track of the _Pearl_, the main objective for now was survival.

James hated hurricanes as much as any sailor, but it was nothing he couldn't handle; he was confident that with the right analysis of the events and the right orders, they would go through it without much damage and catch up with the _Pearl_ at last.

And then all happened suddenly; the members of the crew nodded to each other and all ceased to work.

'Go back to your posts!' shouted James at the top of his lungs. 'I know you're angry but this mutiny will condemn all of us if you don't do your work at the moment. I can't do this without all of you!'

'That's exactly our point, _Commodore_' said the man who looked like he was leading the mutiny. At his signs, all the men went inside, washing their hands off the fate of James Norrington and the only person who was still on board with him, Lawrence.

Speaking of Lawrence, the young woman had wrapped her legs around the left wing mast of the main one, struggling to tie the final knot that would keep the main sail up. Doing this task alone was already tedious, but when the rain was pounding overhead and the wind blowing hard, it was a real tribulation. The top sail of the main mast being already torn, Lawrence gave up on this once and proceeded to climb down; when she looked down, she noticed there was no one to be seen on the decks except for James at the helm. Her hands sliding over the wet wood, she hurried and jumped the last feet to save time and run to the mizzen mast.

'Lawrence!' she heard James shout. 'Please…' She looked up and saw his silhouette with difficulty. She couldn't see his face clearly, but she already knew the sight would break her heart, and indeed it did.

After she had run up the stairs, being careful not to slip or be washed overboard, she went straight to him and was struck by how hurt and devastated he was. At any other time, she would have thought how attractive he was being that drenched, but now wasn't the time at all.

'Oh James…' she said, her voice betraying the sadness she felt as her tears were mingled with the rain.

'I am so sorry, I am so dreadfully sorry.'

He shook his head, trying to keep a brave face for her.

'You must go take shelter with them, they will take care of the ship once they are assured that I've been taken by a wave. You will survive if you stay with them. Please, go.'

Lawrence opened her mouth in disbelief, she wanted to slap him and make him think straight.

'Have you lost your mind? I am not leaving you, _never_. James, don't you know it already, I would die for you; I _love_ you James!'

This time, it's was James' turn to be speechless.

'Oh Lawrence, Lawrence, my beautiful Lawrence, I should have told you this a long time ago, and now nothing happens as I wanted it to be.' He cupped her face with one hand. 'I love you Lawrence. I didn't know what love was before I met you; I know that we are both assured of the other's feelings, we are both going to die in a hurricane. How is that for a tragic end, Shakespeare?'

His declaration made her heart burst with even more cries, and yet she smiled through her tears.

'But we are not going to die, James. We will live, if not for the ship and the crew, then for each other. We've have wasted so much time, we cannot die like this, not now. It isn't the end of the novel, but a turning point leading to a new chapter.' She put her hands on his cheeks and did what she had wanted to do for months; she placed her lips over his and kissed him.

Before she knew it, James had already wrapped his free arm around her waist and was kissing her back with as much passion.

Now, this kiss wasn't the most ideal one, it wasn't even a good kiss in the midst of all this rain and tears, fuelled with hunger and despair, but to them, it was the most perfect moment they had lived.

Lawrence wished they could stay like this forever, but she knew she couldn't; with a heavy heart, she stepped back. James protested and tried to hold her closer but she was resolute.

'James, we will have the rest of our lives to do this, but right now, there is something _vital_ that I must do. We will go through this, I promise.' She gave him a quick kiss. 'I love you.' She smiled and rushed down to the mizzen mast.

James watched her go with regret and pride; she was perfectly right, kissing and holding each other wouldn't give them immunity against the blasting hurricane, and she was oh so brave.

When she had reached the intersection of the mast, she was towering him but she dared not look down, her task was too important. She crawled towards the end of the right wing, wrapping with much difficulty the heavy sail as she went along and tying it. She almost was blown off by a strong blast of wind but held on tightly and proceeded to do the same with the other side of the mast. Her arms ached with pain and exhaustion, the rain made her vision blurry and her eyes heavier; but the thought of James kept her going. Of all the experiences she had had since the beginning of her journey as a sailor, this one was the harshest she had lived.

'Lawrence, don't!' she faintly heard James shout from below as she started to climb up the top of the mizzen mast.

'I've got to!' she shouted back, still keeping her eyes up. The higher she climbed, the more precarious her ascension was; for once, she was glad she was a light-weight. Her legs and her arms were trembling, she had never been that high before; she took a deep breath to gather her strength and did what was expected of her without as much trouble as she had had with the other sail. As she was sliding back down, she cut her right palm with a splinter; she bit her bottom lip to stifle her scream and continued her way down.

When she passed James' height, she heard him shout her name.

'It's over Lawrence, the foremast is broken!'

'What?'

'The foremast!' he said, pointing to the forepart of the ship. Indeed, the mast had broken at its middle, making any tentative to wrap its sails unnecessary.

Lawrence realised with dread that with a broken mast and only one pair of hands to work on the deck, there wasn't much hope of sailing through this hurricane. She looked up at James and showed him with her hands that she was going downstairs to get some help.

She knocked on Commander Johnson's door but when she opened it, she realised his quarters were empty. She went straight to Pardy's and that outraged to see that Pardy, Johnson and Doctor Hunter were all drunk, close to the other, with bottles of whatever alcohol they had found in their hands.

'You should be ashamed!' she shouted before storming out to the crew's deck. She wouldn't waste her time on careless and ungrateful officers.

She opened the door leading to the crew's quarters, not caring about knocking and climbed down the stairs. 'We need your help' she said, breathlessly. 'Please, we won't survive if none of you comes to help us; we can't do it alone. Please!'

'We don't care if you die with him; you're not one of us, you're just the pretty boy of the Commodore; we have nothing to do with you.'

'I don't care whether you like us or not. Didn't you hear what I just said, we will all _die_!' She looked for a familiar face but when she saw one of the men who had belonged to the former crew of the _Dauntless_, she saw him look the other way.

'You coward! You shameless cowards!' she tried to find a more fitting word to insult them but couldn't find it in her heart to curse men who were too stupid to realise the real danger of the situation and who were about to die.

She climbed up the stairs and screamed as forcefully as she could; never in her life had she felt so angry and so desperate.

James turned his head to the source of such scream, eyes wide with fright.

'Lawrence!' he shouted, fearing the worst had happened to her.

He sighed with relief when he saw her walk in wide strides towards the top deck.

'I can't even find it in me to wish them ill fate…' she said once she had reached him. He was struggling with keeping the control of the helm; the wind was blowing even faster than before; the ship was starting to get out of hand.

She positioned herself close to him and helped him keep the wheel straight. James let her come closer by placing his left hand next hers, so that she was now manoeuvring the ship with him inside his embrace. He placed a kiss over her wet hair, his eyes still set ahead.

'Lawrence, I'm sorry to tell you this, we're…'

'I know' she refused to hear him say those words. 'I know. But remember, it isn't your fault, none of this. It is our fate; we can't do anything against it now.'

The _Dauntless_ got hit by a huge wave that destabilized the balance of the ship; the two lovers jerked ahead, crushing Lawrence between James weight and the wheel. She hissed in pain, knowing she would have nasty bruises on her stomach and chest, but then she shook her head, laughing, as she realised she wouldn't live to see the damage.

'What is it Lawrence?' James asked; his voiced sounding tired.

'We've lived together as friends for over a year, and now we'll die and lived forever as lovers, isn't it sweet? Not as glorious as Dido and Aeneas, but still, I think Greek poets would have written nice stanzas about us…'

James smiled sadly. 'Yes, I also think so.' Seeing there was nothing to be done, James took one hand off the wheel and took Lawrence's chin so that she faced him, he placed his other one around her waist. Lawrence let go of the wheel and put her hands around his neck. They locked eyes, forest green piercing through blue-grey trimmed with red.

Their heart beats faster, warmth and butterflies spreading over both chests and stomachs.

'I love you so much Lawrence' James said before capturing her lips and kissing her with all the force he had left in him. He wrapped both his arms tightly around her, as though she were the safety rope that would save him.

Around them, Poseidon was taking over the _Dauntless_, unleashing his best waves to purify the sinful man-made creation that was this war-ship and blessed the union of these two lovers, so far away from home. The winds and thunder also consecrated them with their cheers, leading them into one last dance before everything faded to darkness and silence.


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimers: Potc isn't mine, nor are its characters.**

**A big thank you to all of you, you're the best, and I love you.**

* * *

'Told you she was alive!'

'She?'

'Am I really the only one with eyes 'round here?'

Lawrence felt her boding jerking up as she spat water that was burning her throat; she rolled on her side and threw up again the salty water. She coughed, struggling to catch her breath, her head feeling heavy and dizzy.

'You a'right, mate?' said a slurred voice. The man clumsily but gently tapped her shoulder.

Lawrence slightly straightened herself so that she could lean her back on the wooden rail of a ship. She opened her eyes and winced at the intense luminosity, still seeing dark patches here and there.

'Am I dead?' she asked with a coarse voice, trying to take in her surroundings.

'Hum, don't think so. How do you feel?'

Lawrence squinted and saw that the man she was talking to had funny dreadlock hair partially covered by a red scarf, and a braided goatee divided into two braids with a pearl in each. His dark brown eyes were kohl-rimmed, and a few golden teeth shone through his wide smile.

'Water.'

The man's brow creased, looking at her with narrow eyes.

'Water? How can you feel _water_? You don't make any sense…'

'Jack, I think she's asking for some water!' said a man beside him; he had a round friendly face and greyish-white sideburns.

'Ah, of course!' He paused. 'Well don't just stand there, and go fetch some!'

'Aye, Captain!' the man said, hurrying away and coming back with a pail of clean water. He filled a cup and gave it to Lawrence who drank it greedily.

'Where am I? Where is James? Who are you?' she asked, once she had gathered her spirits, glancing everywhere with fright.

'You're asking too many things at the same time, Miss…' said the strange-looking man.

'Reynolds, Lawrence Reynolds.'

'… Miss Reynolds. I-'

'This man called you Jack, and Captain… Are you Captain Jack Sparrow?' Her eyes were wide with shock and fear.

'You didn't let me finish!' the man said. 'Yes, I am Captain Jack Sparrow; I am very pleased you've heard of me. Welcome aboard the _Black Pearl_!'

Lawrence tried to move away as far as she could in her seated position; her fear had doubled.

Jack Sparrow frowned, not expecting to see her reacting in such a way; after all, he had saved her life.

'James!' she shouted, glancing behind her back before looking once again at the pirate. 'Wh-where is James? James!'

'There's no James here!' said the man who was with Sparrow. 'Who are you c-'

'James, do you mean, Norrington?' Sparrow said, incredulous.

Lawrence's eyes shot up, shining suddenly.

'Yes, yes, where is he? Please, tell me he isn't injured!'

'He isn't here. He… You're the only survivor we've found!' said the other man.

'No, no, you are mocking me. You're just torturing me psychologically as any sick-minded pirate would do. He's here, he's here; I-I'm not the… I'm not' her voice started to get caught in her throat, her voice struggling to pass through the lump that had settled; her eyes began to water; her chest rising at an increased speed.

'It's not true, please, you can do everything to me, I don't care, but please, please I'm begging you, tell me it isn't true.'

Her desperate plea made Sparrow wince with sympathy; her disbelief and pain were so raw; he hated to see anyone like this. He tried to put a friendly hand on her shoulder but she only stepped back further; he sighed, shaking his head.

'I'm sorry, lass. I didn't know he was the one after me; I rather liked the man, he was a cool guy, well, when he wasn't threatening me with his sword that is to say.'

Lawrence closed her eyes, streams of tears rolling down her cheeks.

'Are you sure I am the only one who survived?' she whispered.

'Aye. There's nothing left of the ship or her crew… We came back as soon as the hurricane was over, but there was nothing. We found you drifting away on a piece of wood; if I believed in miracles, I'd say you were one!'

Lawrence swallowed with difficulty and sighed with resign.

'You can kill me now. I've got nothing left now…'

'We didn't save you to kill you, Miss Reynolds' said the man with the sideburns. He took off his jacket and approached her as gently as though she were a deer; when he saw she was flinching, he put his jacket over her shoulders and helped her stand.

'Shall I lead her inside, Captain?'

'Yes, yes, you do that' Sparrow said, still looking at the newcomer with his brow furrowed.

'By the way, I'm Gibbs, Joshamee Gibbs, but everyone calls me Gibbs.'

When he heard no response from her, he continued.

'You shouldn't be afraid, you know. Nothing will happen to you, Captain Jack is a good captain, and we'll…' Lawrence didn't hear what he was saying next, her thoughts were little by little getting overcome by what she had learned. She didn't realise either went he led her to a narrow bed in a private quarter, nor when he left her to her thoughts, having taken back his jacket and wrapped a blanket around her.

_'There's no James here… you're the only survivor… there's nothing left of the ship or the crew… there's nothing left of the crew… There's no James here… you're the only survivor… James… James… He said he loved me… he was kissing me, he was holding me… we were to die together… we should have died together… He said he loved me… He… He's dead.'_ Her mind stopped on that thought. _'Dead. Dead. Dead.'_ This word echoed like the striking of a clock; it tolled in her head like a tocsin. _'Dead. Dead. Dead.'_ Her empty eyes were staring into space; her body was limp; even her thoughts were limps, for only one word sounded in her head, _dead_.

After what seemed like five minutes to her but what was three hours in reality, she went out of the room she was in to go to the main deck of the _Pearl_. She didn't feel like herself, something within her had died; she had lost everything. The pain she felt was nothing compared to watch she had felt when her brother had died, she couldn't explain why but back then she knew she had a reason to live, and that was starting a new life as the sailor her brother could never be; then when James had sent her away to her cousin, she had felt devastated because her pride had been hurt, but still, she knew she would see him again eventually, and she still had her friends. But now, now that James was dead, she couldn't think about any other reason for her to live; Theodore and Andrew would eventually hear about the wreck of the _Dauntless_ and how nobody on board survived, and even if she went to see them again, she would be able to face them again, they would remind her too much of James, of how she was still breathing while he was not, and she couldn't bear the thought of living in this kind of Hell. No, the only reasonable solution was for her to jump overboard and drown as she should have.

She walked past the crew of the _Pearl_ without noticing the strange look they were giving her; she looked at the deep blue sea and put a foot on the railing, ready to give the final push and fall into the water. As she was raising the other foot, she was pulled back by two strong arms around her waist.

'Let me go' she screamed, struggling to be free.

'Can't do that' Jack said seriously. He put her on the deck, away from the railings and eyed her suspiciously. 'Don't do it again, alright?' She looked at him grimly then rushed again towards the water, but the pirate's reflexes were too sharp and he caught her instantly.

'That's it! You go with me now!' He picked her put and threw her across his shoulder like a mere bag of wheat and went to his quarters, ignoring her desperate attempts to go away and her screams.

Once inside, he dropped her unceremoniously on the ground and closed the door, barring it with a chair.

He took two bottles of rum from a chest and gave her one; when he saw she wasn't taking it, he rolled his eyes and put it next to her. He took a gulp from his and sat nonchalantly on a chair, looking her up and down.

'So tell me now, what is this all about? Why d'you want to throw herself off like that? That's… stupid!'

She eyed him wearily.

'Why should you care? You're a pirate; you'll want me dead anyway.'

'You keep saying that, but I don't want to kill you, Miss, err…'

She grunted and took a sip from her bottle.

'Just call me Lawrence!'

'Law' it is then! Now, let's skip the part where you keep thinking I will kill you and tell me why _you_ want to kill yourself.'

Lawrence decided that if she couldn't drown herself in the sea, then she would drown in rum. She took a long gulp and shrugged, the depth of her eyes showing how raw her pain was.

'Isn't it obvious? I've got nothing; James's dead.'

'So I take it sweet Commodore and yourself were romantically _involved_ then?'

'For what, half an hour, tops?' she laughed bitterly. 'It took us more than a year, a mutiny, and a hurricane to declare to each other; we were to die together; I shouldn't have outlived him…'

'There's plenty of other fish in the sea!' Jack said joyfully to lighten the mood.

'But _he_ was my sea' Lawrence said, shaking her head and drinking once more. She hated that taste of rum, but at least it was better than salty water, and the more she drank, the dizzier she was feeling.

'You see, that what I can never understand with you people; you limit yourself to one person and when that person's gone, your whole world crumbles. Look at me!' he said, raising up his bottle and bowing. 'I am unattached and therefore free to live as happily as I want.'

'You're a pirate' she spat.

'Oy, you say that as if it were a bad thing! Now listen,' he sat himself on the floor in front of her and put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder, 'why don't you start over, eh? You stay with us for a while and see how it goes. And for pity's sake, get rid of this bloody Navy uniform, you won't need it anymore!'

Lawrence drew back, trying to look disgusted.

'I refuse to become a pirate!'

'Alright then, nobody said you'd be one; it's up to you. Just, just go with the flow and, don't try to drown yourself again, alright?'

Lawrence examined his face; he didn't seem dangerous, he was even trying to help her. _'Why shouldn't I trust him? I've got nothing to lose after all…'_ She nodded; Jack gave her a bright smile and clanged his bottle to hers.

'Excellent!' he rose up and helped her to her feet.

'Listen, I'm really sorry about what happened; but you'll make it through, you can trust Captain Jack on that! Now, why don't you go change yourself a bit, and I'll present you to the crew?'

'I don't have anything else, Captain Sparrow…'

'Fine by me, you can walk around in your birthday suit, if you're confident enough!'

Lawrence gave him a pointed look.

'Or not… Well, I'm sure you'll find something to your liking in the chest next to the mizzen mast.'

A few hours before, Lawrence didn't think she could ever smile again, or see the bright sight of things after such a blow; and yet she did, thanks to the unexpected kindness of the famous Captain Jack Sparrow.

'Thank you, Captain Sparrow… For everything.'

Jack smiled again and half-bowed, after stumbled.

'My pleasure.' He opened the door of his quarters and followed her out.

Lawrence couldn't walk straight, her mind felt too foggy.

'I-I think I'm going to…' she ran to the edge of the ship and threw up in the sea. The members of the crew nearby gave her strange looks._ 'That much for first and second impressions…_' she thought grimly as she wiped her mouth.

Jack knew she wouldn't jump to the sea when he had seen her run, so he waited patiently under the mizzen mast, shaking his head.

Lawrence joined him with downcast eyes, feeling ashamed. Her new captain laughed and gently smacked her back before leaving her.

'Take whatever you need, and throw that jacket to the sea, where it belongs!'

She took the whole content in her arms and went to the room she had first been led to. On the bed, she dropped the clothes and started to pick what would fit her best. Most of the clothes were full of holes, if not rags, but eventually, she found a faded black shirt that wasn't in a too bad shape, and a pair of reddish-brown pants, she decided to keep her boots, as she knew she wouldn't better ones. She threw away her biding scarves, she didn't care anymore whether people thought she was a woman or not, Sparrow didn't seem to mind, and that was all that mattered at the moment; she also tied a turquoise scarf half on her forehead and half on her top head to keep her long hair from flowing into her eyes. This change of appearance was a huge difference from the uniform she previously wore, but strangely enough, she was quite enjoying this new sensation. Maybe that being a pirate rhymed with Freedom after all…


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimers: I don't own Potc nor its characters.**

**A big thank you to all my readers. You are golden.**

* * *

Much to her surprise, life on board of the _Black Pearl_ was quite enjoyable; there she was treated as equally as any other man, though they all knew she was a woman and a former Navy officer on top of that; pirates seemed to be more forgiving than His Majesty's men apparently… The crew had even given her a nickname, Rush.

The tasks she did on board were not so different from what she had done when she was still a mere sailor; as long as she had anything to do, she couldn't dwell on the past and her loss.

The _Pearl_ sailed without notable events for months; they stopped in Spain for a week or so before going back to the Caribbean. The more time she spent with them, the more she rather liked the pirates with whom she travelled, especially Sparrow. She couldn't understand why James had made her swear she wouldn't trust this man because he was dangerous; Sparrow was reckless, yes, but dangerous? If only James had known how wrong he had been about this pirate. In the end, he was starting to grow on her; sure she wouldn't follow him in all his fanciful plans, but she definitely would sail with him for as long as he wanted her on board.

'Jack, I'm sorry, but you can't count me in for this one…' she said one day, her arms crossed over her chest.

'Are you a pirate, or are you not, Law'?' It still made her smile to her another voice than Simon's call her by this diminutive; years after, she still thought from time to time about what her old friend would have done in her situation; would he have become a pirate, or stayed true to the Navy?

'Well, Captain Sparrow, I am _not_.'

'Too bad you're on pirate ship then! With a crew of pirate running away from the authorities of Port-Royal, to cite only one, and following the orders of a pirate, who turns out to be none but me.' He gave her his trademark bright smile and took her arm, leading her to the railings and showing her the sea with a vague gesture of his hand.

'You see this? It's ours. A pirate knows no boundaries, and eh, why should there be? The sea and the earth belong to every man; we came second, we cannot own it. Don't you agree?'

For a moment, she almost fell for it, but her sense of righteousness took over before she gave in.

'But Jack, the merchant ships on the sea _aren't_ ours either. We can't take a man's hard-won belongings; that's stealing!'

'Of course that's stealing, we're pirates!' He said, then shrugged. 'I still think everything on land and on sea belongs to every man…'

To Lawrence's relief but Jack's disappointment, the merchant ship had gotten away from them recognizing the _Pearl_ and knowing her intentions.

'Oh Bugger! You see, it's your fault, Rush, you shouldn't have discussed my words!'

'I'll pay you a drink at our next stop to amend myself then, Captain Sparrow.'

'I'm taking you up on this!'

One day, the ship laid anchor at Nassau; Jack had been moody for a couple of nights and refused to talk about what troubled him to anyone. Lawrence decided to let him sort out alone whatever it was that troubled him and decided to visit this famous pirates' lair with some of fellow crewmembers, a nice man called Cotton, who had had his tongue cut and only spoke through his parrot, a dwarf named Marty, and two rather eccentric men named Pintel and Ragetti. The five of them formed quite an odd looking group, but when again, as did any member of Sparrow's crew.

As they walked down the main street, something caught Lawrence's eyes, or rather, someone. 'W-wait for me here, would you? I-I won't be long!' She ran as fast as she could towards the other side of the street where a few men in uniform were gathered.

'Andrew!' she shouted. The man in question turned round at the mention of his name being shouted in such a shady place.

'Lawrence?!'

Another man beside him turned round, it's was Theodore. The two officers quickly excused themselves to the other men and went to her encounter.

'Lawrence, you-you're alive!' Theodore pulled her into a warm hug; before she could say one word, Andrew was hugging her in his turn.

'My friends, it's been so long!' she said, tears of joy forming at the corner of her eyes.

'You've changed…' said Andrew disapprovingly, looking her up and down.

'Who cares about what she's wearing! Dear God, Lawrence, we all thought you were dead! James told us that…'

'Wh-what? James?' her heart beat faster, her lungs felt blocked. 'What are you talking about? James, James is _dead_!'

Her two friends frowned.

'No, he… he isn't. We've seen him some time ago; he was devastated, he said you were dead, drown with the _Dauntless_. Come on, we'll talk about all this around a cup of tea, unless you're more of the rum drinking type now…' Theodore said with a wink.

'Yes, yes! Just let me warn my frie-' when she turned round, she noticed her fellow pirates had fled, probably recognizing the Navy uniforms. '… Never mind. Let's go!'

Once they were sat at a table, she couldn't wait any longer to ask them.

'So James is alive then; how is he? I take it he isn't with you now…'

'No he isn't' Andrew shook his head. 'When we saw him, he had just arrived at Port-Royal. He told us about Sparrow's chase and the hurricane; then he told us about you. I don't want to pry, but I need to know, did something happen while-'

'No. I mean, yes. Well, I don't know; it could have been the fear of an imminent death that made us act like we did…'

They silently asked her to go on. She sighed and closed her eyes; this memory was still too painful to bear, even now that she knew James was alive.

'Well, there isn't much to say, really. The mutiny happened just when we needed as many men as possible, and-'

'Mutiny? James never told us about a mutiny!'

'I think he was being too ashamed to admit it to you, his closest friends… So, as I said, the mutiny was right at the moment of the hurricane's peak, leaving only us two to save the ship. We may have kissed and said that we loved each other at one point, I'm not even sure that part happened; it was Hell around us. The foremast was broken, and even with the other sails being rolled up, there was nothing to be done; I tried to help him at the helm but the situation was out of hand and chaotic, so we gave up and… Last thing I now, we were in each other's arms, kissing, waiting for Death to take us both in one blow; but then I woke up on a ship. I was safe, someone had saved my life.' _'Better not tell them who saved me and with whom I am; they would never understand, and I don't want Jack getting into trouble because of me, not after all he's done for me.'_

'But James, did he tell you how he survived? Where is he now?' she continued anxiously, wiping the few tears she had shed.

'He told us a Spanish ship saved him; then it isn't clear, apparently he's sailed quite bit with those Spaniards before coming back to us. As for where he is now, we don't know for sure; he was to face court martial. Everything's so different in Port-Royal now… I'm sure he's been assigned to another mission.'

'I'm glad everything is going well for him them; without a doubt, the court martial is a mere formality. God, now that I know that he's alive and safe, I can breathe again! Thank you so much my friends for such great news.'

'Are you going to find him now that you know?' Theodore asked, smiling, happy to see his friend so relieved, and secretly wishing his two friends to be together at last.

'Of course I am!' beaming with joy. 'I'll start looking for a ship tomorrow!'

'Can't your new ship take you there? And by the way, with whom are you?'

'A merchant ship!' she lied, saying for words a bit too quickly.

'Which explains why you are dressed as a pirate…'

'As a matter of fact yes!' _'Think of something, quick, find something!'_ 'It's a strategy the captain of the _White Coal_, he's very clever; the whole crew disguise themselves as pirates, so that if we encounter _real_ pirates, they wouldn't think of attacking us. Well, that is to say, they would be less prone to attack us. Hence my informal clothing.'

'That captain of the _White Coal_ must be quite clever indeed!' said Andrew appreciatively.

The three friends talked for another hour before they had to return to their duties. Lawrence hurried back to the _Pearl_; now wasn't the time to be assaulted, not when she was so close to be with James again.

When she woke up the next morning, Lawrence noticed something odd: the ship was moving. She dressed up hurriedly and ran to the main deck; the ship was indeed sailing away from the port of Nassau, and judging by the distance, they had been sailing for at least a good hour.

'What the Hell, Jack!' Lawrence stormed out, climbing the steps leading to the top deck. 'Why are we at sea, it wasn't the plan!'

Sparrow raised one finger.

'First of all, I've noticed you're picking up the habit of swearing, like a true pirate, I'm proud of you, matey! Secondly, _I_ am the Captain, so whatever I do _is_ the plan. Now, you sit pretty and you let me do my thing, savvy?'

'But I need to go back!' she said, eyes wide with shock.

'Well, you can't. Unless you want to swim and be eaten by sharks…'

'Jack, you don't understand; I _need_ to go back and find a ship that will lead me to Port-Royal. James's alive, and he's most certainly there, I must go join him!'

'Ah, Norrington's back from the dead then? Hallelujah! I'm very happy for you, but you'll have to wait a bit longer before the two of you kiss-kiss each other and engage in… recreational activities.' He looked at her, feigning shock. 'Don't tell me you have already consummated your marriage before your wedding night; I would be most shocked!'

'Jack!' Lawrence blushed furiously at his insinuations and punched his shoulder. He smirked the rolled his eyes.

'You don't even fight like a girl; most women would have slapped me on the face, but you, you punched my shoulder, like a proper man. Maybe I could have had my chances with sweet James then, as you are more of a man than a woman sometimes…'

This time, Lawrence slapped his cheek.

'That's enough now! And see, I can't be both; how's that for your gender theories?' She crossed her arms, looking at him furiously.

'Where are we going anyway? Why did we leave so soon?'

'I'll show you the world, Miss Lawrence' he said in a flirting manner. Lawrence gave him a side look, tightening her lips.

'Alright, alright. West of the Ottoman Empire; I have something to pick up there.'

'I really hope it's worth it…'

'Oh, trust me, it is!'


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimers: I don't own POTC.**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you; you are the best!**

* * *

'Do you really think he'll get out of this alive?' Lawrence asked Mr. Gibbs.

The _Pearl_ was safely hidden behind a reef near a Turkish prison; Jack had just left the crew on board in order to infiltrate this penitential facility and get whatever it he was looking for.

Usually, Lawrence would have followed him, but this was clearly a suicide mission, so she respected her captain's orders and waited for his return on the ship.

'Yeah, he'll make it through' said Gibbs. 'Jack is the most resourceful man I've ever had the pleasure to meet!'

'And if he doesn't?' she said, wishing she could be as confident as he was.

'Then we'll leave; but first, we wait for him for a couple of days.'

On the second night, Jack was still out there; Lawrence was sitting on the stairs, worrying, and watching a drunken Mr. Gibbs singing a song about a dead man's chest. It was raining, and crows were flying overhead, but she didn't care; she still waited for Jack's arrival.

After a while, she heard Marty cry that their Captain was coming back. _'At last!'_ she thought. She saw Gibbs hauling him up and throwing away with disgust the bones of a leg that once belonged to a man.

'Not quite according to plan…'  
'Complications arose, ensued, were overcome' Jack said.  
'You got what you went in for, then?'

Jack showed them a rolled up piece of cloth.

Lawrence internally cursed him; they had crossed a whole ocean and one sea from part to part just for a piece of cloth!  
'Captain… I think the crew, meaning me, as well, were expecting something a bit more... shiny. What with the Isla de Muerta going all pear-shapes, reclaimed by the sea and the treasure with it' ventured Gibbs.  
'And the Royal Navy chasing us all around the Atlantic!' said someone else.

'And the hurricane!' Marty added.  
'All in all, it seems some time since we did a speck of honest pirating' Gibbs continued.  
'Shiny?' Jack asked.  
'Aye, shiny.'  
'Is that how you're all feeling, then? Perhaps dear ol' Jack is not serving your best interests as Captain?'

To this, Cotton's parrot suggested that Jack walked the plank; which led Jack to threaten it with his pistol.

'What did the bird say?!'  
'Do not blame the bird. Show us, what is on that piece of cloth there.' As Jack was ready to show them, the monkey, also named Jack, stole it from his hands, leading to more fireshots.

'It's a key!' Marty exclaimed with the cloth in his hands.  
'No, much more better!'Jack said, taking it from him. 'It is a drawing of a key. Gentlemen, what do keys do?'  
'Keys... unlock things?'  
'And whatever this key unlocks, inside there's something valuable. So, we're setting out to find whatever this key unlocks' tried Gibbs, unsure.  
'No. We don't have the key, we can't open whatever it is we don't have that it unlocks. So, what purpose would be served in finding whatever need be unlocked, which we don't have, without first having found the key what unlocks it.'  
'So, we're going after this key!'  
'You're not making any sense at all. Any more questions?'

Lawrence rolled her eyes; she was baffled by the poor deducing skills of those pirates and how much Jack did his best to obscure any word he said.  
'So... Do we have a heading?' Marty finally asked.  
'Ah! A heading.' Jack took out his compass and waved his finger from East to West to North to South. 'Set sail in a... general... that way direction!' he said before giving some orders and going to his quarters.  
'Setting sail without knowing his own heading, something's got Jack vexed. You mark my words, what bodes ill for Jack Sparrow, bodes ill for us all…' Lawrence heard Gibbs say. Whatever Jack was doing, it looked rather strange indeed. _'First our sudden departure from Nassau, then the Turkish prison plan; and now the drawing of an usual key that opens god knows what. Oh Jack, it's better be good…'_

'On deck all hands! Make faster, gasket! On deck! Scurry, Scurry on! Move it, move it! I want movement!' shouted Jack one evening while most of the crew was asleep. Lawrence woke up with a start at the sound of such commotion and went out of her quarters to see what it was all about.  
'I want plenty of running. Run as if the devil himself and itself was upon us!'

'Jack, what is the matter?' she asked, fearing increasing within her.  
'Do we have a heading?' Gibbs asked, as startled as the rest of the crew. As Jack kept running away, Gibbs was following him closely.  
'Land!'  
'Which port?'  
'I didn't say port. I said land, any land.'

'_Something is definitely up._ _Why is Jack so afraid suddenly? What is happening, what has he done now? Oh God, he doesn't even want us to pick up his hat that's fallen off. Now I'm _really_ worried!'_  
'Jack! For the love of Mother and Child, Jack, what's coming after us?' said Gibbs, still pursing their flaling captain.  
'Nothing…'  
'Jack, you've got to tell us, what's going on?' Lawrence interfered, hoping to get some answers as well.

'I said nothing. We need to go on land; quickly!'

The Pearl eventually landed on an island that looked really peaceful; _'the kind of island you want to stay for a while and get away from the troubles of piracy' _Lawrence thought.

'Alright! Everybody, don't stray; we'll find out whatever treasures this island has for us but together, I don't want anybody going anywhere without me, is that understood?'

'Aye, Captain' said the crew almost at the same time.

'Good, now… Oh, look, we've got company! Hello!' he waved at a group of people that couldn't be seen in the distance.

'Jack, I don't think that's a good idea to attract attention in an unknown place… What if those people were cannibals?' Lawrence said, pulling down his arm and watching with suspicion the silhouettes becoming closer and closer.

'Ah, cannibals! Your feminine imagination needs to rest for a bit and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere that surrounds us and… what is it that they're doing? That doesn't look so friendly…'

'Oi! Captain, I think I've been pricked by something that I can't see, I've-' Gibbs stumbled then fell to the ground. 'I can't move my legs!'

'Captain! Captain!' Everyone was falling to the ground, including Lawrence.

'Jack!' she shouted, 'Our limbs are numb; we can't move!'

Jack had miraculously missed all the poisonous darts; he looked at his crew, contrite and desperate.

'Sorry… Hello, friends!' he said to the new comers. They were looking rather odd, with paintings all over their body and bones in their hair and their nose.

'You, speak… speaking… talk… English? No? I… You… friends!'

When he saw he had gotten no response but a few looks exchanged between them, he opted for another option.

'Blarga la ké ouri!'

The strange-looking men lowered their blow tubes and looked at him with intensity, as if they were expecting him to say something else.

'Blarga la ké ouri! Chop !' Jack said more firmly, standing tall and showing the forest with his head.

The men started saying strange words as well and looked at him with what looked like admiration. Then, they went to each member of the crew and tied their lefts hands to a couple of long hollow trunks some of them have gathered before attacking Lawrence and her fellow pirates. They couldn't move to defend themselves or escape, though as time went by, the poison started to wear off.

'What did you say to them?!' Lawrence shouted angrily

'No idea… Oh there, what are you doing now?' Jack said as three men were pushing him inside the forest.

'Jack, you must stop this!'

'I wish I could, sweet heart, but I don't know what to-' And he was gone.

The other indigenous people pushed the crew into the forest as well, guiding them by pulling on the trunks.

_'We must do something, we can't be captive without a fight… But we're too weak at the moment to attempt anything…'_

'Gibbs!' she whispered in her neighbour's ear. 'Give me your flask!'

'My what? What do you need my-'

'Now, please…' she hissed. When he handed it to her, she managed with a bit of difficulty to tie it to a slim cord she had in her pocket; then she let it hang as discreetly as possible on a branch and made a track with the cord.

When they arrived in the clearing, which was in fact a village, the prisoners were all sent to square cages made of wood, except for Jack who was led to hut. When he finally got out, all the villagers bowed down to him and looked at him with veneration; he was wearing a very strange hat, with feathers and snake skins, and his face with covered with paint. He was still conversing with them by inventing words; and the worst was that he didn't even know himself what he was saying.

At one point, their abductors took care of their captives one by one by tying up their hands and leading them to the other side of a suspended bridge. When it was Lawrence's turn, the strange-looking men looked at themselves with wide eyes and touched her golden hair with the tip of their fingers. They said a few words then locked her up alone in the cage; she wasn't to follow her friends wherever they were going. She did her best to keep her calm demeanour; panic wouldn't solve anything; however, when the men seized the last man that remained in another cage and started to strip him off his clothes in front of everybody, she started to panic.

_'Oh Lord, what is that about now? What is happening?'_

They led him to the centre of the place, in front of the throne on which Jack was seated and guarded, and in the quick flick of a knife, opened up his chest to seize… his heart.

'Jack!' Lawrence shouted. 'Jack what's going on? You have to stop this. Jack!'

Jack looked petrified; he tried to rise from his seat by his guards made him sit down again.

A short man with white paint over his belly, put the heart in a shiny plate and placed it at Jack's feet while others proceeded to cut his others vital organs and eat them raw, sharing between them according to their degree of importance in the tribe.

The other parts of the body of the poor victim were then cut out and given to the villagers who brought their pieces to their homes. Blood and pieces of entrails covered the ground, but not a bone of the poor man was left to be seen.

There were no words to describe how disgusted and horrified Jack and Lawrence were; although Jack had the advantage of not being in a cage.

_'I told Jack they would be cannibals, I knew it… Am I their next meal? Why am I not with the others? And where are they? What sort of sacrifice will they be facing? Oh Jack, why did you lead us here…'_

Lawrence felt desperate, she feared for her own life and the lives of her friends, especially since they couldn't converse with their abductors and Jack didn't know what he was saying.

Day after day, a new sacrifice was made in honour of Jack, who was apparently considered as a powerful deity; Lawrence was relieved that none of her closest friends on board of the _Pearl _were among the victims, but still, she knew those men who were being eaten by those cannibals. Fortunately for her, they didn't leave her to starve for days in the cage, nor gave her pieces of human flesh, but in fact fruits. She understood by how they acted around her that she was being treated differently because she was a woman and apparently because of the colour of her hair; they thought she was the daughter of the Sun and thus would be the best sacrifice to this all mighty deity.


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimers: POTC isn't mine, and Jack, Will, and the others aren't either; only Lawrence is.**

**Thank you all for all the reviews and all that. You make my days and nights!**

* * *

One morning, a new prisoner arrived, hanging like a possum on a branch; Lawrence noticed that he was fairly young, had a fair face and a brown moustache and goatee that matched his brown hair. She was wondering where he'd come from and if there were more people with him when to her surprise, the man recognised Jack.

'Jack? Jack Sparrow? I can honestly say I'm glad to see you. Jack, it's me, Will Turner!'

_'Wait, what? How does he know Jack? Who is this Will Turner? I think I've heard this name before…'_

Jack showed no sign of recognition and ordered the men to take him away.

'Jack, tell them to put me down! Jack, the compass, it's all I need. Elizabeth is in danger. We were arrested for trying to help you. She faces the gallows!'

'Elizabeth?' exclaimed Lawrence. _'Is he talking about the Elizabeth I know?'_

Will turned his head and acknowledged her presence for the first time. He looked at her, surprised, but before he could say anything, she heard Jack whisper in his ear to save him.

'Jack, what did you tell them? No! What about Elizabeth? Jack!' Will screamed as he was carried away.

'Jack!' Lawrence said angrily. 'What was this about? You know this man, what did you say?'

But Jack didn't answer her; since she'd been captured, he hadn't said a word to her. She couldn't blame him though, she knew that if he interacted with her in front of everyone, the cannibals would either punish her or him; but he could have tried something to help her at least!

From the commotion she heard, she gathered that the prisoner had somehow escaped and most of the cannibals were tracking him down. _'Please God, let him be ok…'_ Lawrence silently prayed. She looked over at Jack. _'Now would be the best opportunity for him to free me and to escape…'_ She whistled to attract Jack's attention; he turned his head in her direction, thinking about the same thing. But unfortunately for the both of them, Jack was led to the forest by his _faithful servants/guards_ and left her there, alone.

'Alright then, new plan…' she looked around and noticed that none of the cannibals were here. Every day since her capture, she had tried to free her wrists, either by pulling, gnawing, or rubbing it against anything that looked sharp, but in vain; she'll have to find a way out hands bound. She tried to kick the wooden bars, with her feet and her shoulders but the only result was a couple of bruises… She was starting to despair when suddenly she heard leaves ruffling behind her; she turned round, eyes wide with fear.

'It's alright, I'm here to help you out!' _'What? That Will Turner is risking his life to save mine? Is he crazy or completely reckless?'_

'You came back for me?' Lawrence was speechless. 'I'm… I'm touched. Really. Thank you!'

With his long knife, he began to saw and kick the closest bar he found.

'You'll thank me once you're out, Miss…' he asked, a bit out of breath.

'Lawrence. Just call me Lawrence, or Law, or Rush' she nervously laughed. 'Your name is Will, is that right? Will Turner?'

'That's right! Here you go, quick!' he said helping her out. He took her hands in his left and cut her ropes.

'Can you run?' he inquired, looking everywhere to see whether he had not been followed.

'Sure, yes! Thank you again, Will!'

'I would never leave a woman in the hands of cannibals.' He smiled at her then took her hand. 'Come, we'll find the way back to the beach!'

It felt really strange to run hand in hand with someone she didn't know and yet who had saved her life to the detriment of his. She wished she had more time to find where she had heard his name before, but honestly, running for their lives was quite the priority at the moment.

'That's the cord I used to mark our way!' Lawrence said, still running.

'So you're the one who thought of it? That's clever!' He sounded genuinely impressed.

Lawrence rolled her eyes. _'Please, the last thing I need right now is flirting!'_

They stopped to catch their breath; apparently they had not been followed.

'Where are you going?' Will asked.

'We're clearly lost, I've lost track of the cord and I'm pretty sure we've already been there. I'll just climb that tree to see where the beach is.'

'I must say, you're tactics are impressive, for a woman!' he said with awe.

She side eyed him. 'I'm not sure if I should be flattered or offended, Mr. Turner… Stay right here, I won't be long!' And so she started her ascension in the exotic tree. When she arrived at the top, she instantly spotted the beach; they just had a good few yards to run and they would be there. She climbed down as quickly as she could, trying not to fall.

'We're really close, Will, just a few-' She turned round; Will was nowhere to be seen. 'Will!' she shouted. 'Will!' _'My God, where is he?'_ She noticed the leaves on the ground had been greatly disarranged, as though a large heavy weight had fallen and had been pulled away.

'Oh no, they've found him while he was waiting for me!'

Now she had several options, either she tried to catch up with his abductors as quickly as she could to save him while she still could, or returned to the village to free the others and help Jack out of his situation, or go back to the _Pearl_. She didn't have much time to think it through, so she immediately ran to the beach to fetch her lost sword and other arms.

'Pintel? Ragetti?'

'Oh look, it's Rush!' said the taller one.

'Wh- What are you doing here? I thought we had left you on the previous island we've been on…'

'Err… we saw the _Pearl_ and guessed you would be there… so we were thinking that we might guard her in Jack's absence…' said Pintel, looking sheepish.

Lawrence didn't trust a word he said but let it drop anyway.

'Listen, I need your help. Jack and the others have been kidnapped and we need to free them before they're eaten!'

No reaction.

'Come on, let's go, we don't have the whole day!'

'No, you go Rush. I said we're keeping an eye on the _Pearl_…'

'What? But they're gonna die!' Seeing that they weren't moving, she shook her head, furious, and ran away to the wood, her sword in hand.

'Pirates!' she said between her teeth. 'Bloody typical!'

She managed to find the way back to the village without as much problem as she had had with Will to find the beach, and hid herself behind the bushes. She arrived just on time to see Jack being pursued by the troop of cannibals over the suspended bridge. _'What has he done now?!'_ She waited for the last man to cross the bridge to follow them without being noticed, but no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find them; she had waited too long.

Frustrated, she ventured into these new woods and heard a lot of shouting on her left. Recognizing Gibbs and even Will's voices, she carefully ran into that direction.

_'So there're together then? At least that's a relief!'_ And then she saw them. They were trapped into a giant spherical cage made out of what looked like bones; they had lost control of it and were rolling away towards a deep gully, and… down they fell. Their assailants, seeing that they couldn't reach them anymore, ran to another direction. Lawrence hurried to see whether her friends were still alive; to her relief, they were. It was miraculous, none of them were injured but were swimming away towards the entrance of the cave they had fallen into.

She concluded that she jumping to join them would be too dangerous, but on the other hand, she had lost track of the cannibals and would be able to follow them towards wherever they were going or find her way back.

She took a deep breath, and dived in, hoping for the best. She had never jumped such a height before; it felt both invigorating and frightening at the same time. She didn't have much time to reflex on it for she was already hitting the water. When she resurfaced, she was winded because of the force of the shock. She managed to breathe with difficulty and started swimming.

'Thank God, you're here!' she sighed with relief.

'Hush!' Marty said to her, beckoning her to join them in silence.

'What is it?'

'Lawrence, you're here!' whispered Gibbs and Will at the same time.

'Yes, I followed you…'

'We'll talk about this later; let's go!' said Will, motioning the entrance.

As soon as they were on the beach, they ran as quickly as they could, as if the devil was behind them.

The _Black Pearl _thanks to, or rather, because of Pintel and Ragetti; but that was for the better.

'Make ready to sail, boys!' ordered Gibbs when they had reached them.  
'What about Jack? I won't leave without him' Will interjected, stopping in his course.  
'Oi!' they heard shouting behind them. Lawrence and her friends turned round and saw Jack running as fast as he could from the horde of cannibals that was after him.  
'Time to go' said Will, suddenly changing his mind, considering the present situation.

'Cast off those lines!' said Gibbs while they all climbed up the ropes to board the ship.  
'Oi!' shouted Jack once again; but the ship was already going away into the sea, so he swam out to the _Pearl_ and clang out to the ropes.

Jack being Jack, he couldn't help himself and made his usual speech to the cannibals.

_'Ah Jack… the sin of hubris will be your downfall!'_ Lawrence thought, shaking her head and smiling.

'Alas, my children' he said, waving at them, 'this is the day you shall always remember as the day that you almost-' he waved cut him in his speech and drenched him even more. '…Captain Jack Sparrow' he concluded with a sigh.

'Let's put some distance between us and this island and head out to open sea' said Gibbs, taking control of the situation.  
'Yes to the first, yes to the second, but only as so far as we keep to the shallows as much as possible' added Jack.  
'Now, that seems a bit contradictory, Captain.'  
'I have every faith in your reconciliatory navigational skills, Master Gibbs. Now, where is that monkey? I want to shoot something.'  
'Jack!' said Will, coming up to him.  
'Ah!'  
'Elizabeth is in danger!'

_'Again that Elizabeth! I need to know whether it's the Lizzie I know… But first, I'll wait'_ patiently thought Lawrence as she was drying her hair with a long piece of cloth that didn't look so filthy.  
'Have you considered keeping a more watchful eye on her. Maybe just lock her up somewhere?'  
'She is locked up in a prison, bound to hang for helping you.'

_'Wait, helping Jack? Now there can't be many Elizabeths that would help him, and considering the events of last year, it had to be her!'_

'Hang?' Lawrence gasped. 'On whose authority?' _'Not James. He wouldn't; he couldn't! She knew he was back to Port Royal, but to go as far as hanging her, especially since he had once loved her… No, that couldn't be him.'_  
'There comes a time when one must take responsibility for one's mistakes' Jack said, sharing hos well-known wisdom.

Will snatched a sword and brought it to Jack's throat.

'I need that compass of yours, Jack. I must trade it for her freedom.'  
'Mr. Gibbs?' Jack said, pushing away the sword.  
'Captain?'  
'We have a need to travel upriver.'  
'By need, do you, mean a trifling need, fleeting, as in, say, a passing fancy?'  
'No, a resolute and unyielding need.'

'What we need to do is make sail for Port Royal with all haste' said Will in an authoritative tone.

_'Port-Royal? Oh Will, I could kiss you!_' Lawrence internally exulted. _'I'm going to see James at last!'_  
'William... I shall trade you the compass, if you will help me... to find this' Jack said, showing him the drawing of the strange key.  
'You want me to find this?'

'No. You want you to find this. Because the finding of this, finds you incapacitorially finding and/or locating in your discovering the detecting of a way to save your dolly belle ol' what's her face. Savvy?'  
Will seized the cloth.

'This is going to save Elizabeth?'  
'How much do you know about Davy Jones?'

_'What's that Davy Jones got to do with this?'_ Lawrence wondered. _'How a legend of the sea could possibly help Elizabeth?'_  
'Not much' admitted Will, wondering also what Davy Jones had to do with all this.  
'Yeah, it's going to save Elizabeth!'


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimers: I don't own POTC nor its characters.**

**My readers are wonderful, thank you so much!**

* * *

From what Lawrence had gathered, they were sailing towards Cuba to meet some kind of voodoo priestess, she didn't quite get who they were supposed to see, in order to find where the key was.

The journey didn't last long but gave her enough time to get to know more this Will Turner. To her, he had proved to be a decent young man; after all, he had saved her life and risked his in doing so. But then she learned that Will actually was her friend Elizabeth's fiancé; and she liked him all the more. She was sorry to hear about their failed wedding and her arrest; there was one thing she didn't understand though: how is it that he got out without problems and didn't rescue her? She felt something was not right about this but dared not ask him.

Until they reached the Pantano River, she spent the few days talking with him to pass the time as Jack wasn't one for conversing lately; he seemed rather worried about something and kept looking at what she supposed was a cut on his left palm.

At last, they arrived near Cuba and went upriver on board of two boats. The setting was quite eerie; Lawrence could see faces emerging from behind the trees that overran the swamp; the foliage was even so dense that the sun rays couldn't go through, adding to the gloomy atmosphere. The only things she could hear were some distant birds, and Will and Gibbs whispering on the other boat about the mythical creature that is the Kraken.

When they finally arrived to the shack, Jack stepped out and tried to reassure them.

'No worries, mates, Tia Dalma and I go way back; thick as thieves. Nigh inseparable we are…Were. Have been. Before…'

'I'll watch your back' said the ever so faithful Gibbs.  
'It's me front I'm worried about…' Jack said as he climbed up the stairs leading to the cabin, closely followed by Lawrence who was growing more and more suspicious. _'Whatever we'll be doing there, I'm pretty sure I won't like it… But as long as this Tia Dalma isn't cannibal, it's all fine with me!'_

Jack lowered himself and cautiously pushed the door open. The room was filled with burning candles, jars, strange artefacts, and animals, dead and alive, as Lawrence instantly noticed the albino python perched on a the door.

'Jack Sparrow!' a voice said with a thick Jamaican accent. The woman that was before them instantly fascinated Lawrence; her brown skin almost matched the ragged dress she was wearing; her hair was a mess of black dreadlocks and dirt. She smiled at him with a greyish smile.  
'Tia Dalma!'  
'I always knowed the wind was going to blow you back to me one day.' She rose up, leaving the bones she was fiddling with and walked towards them. She nodded when she walked past Lawrence, giving her a sly smile, then pointed Will with her bony finger.

'You. You have a touch a' destiny about you, William Turner.'  
Will startled.

'You know me?'  
'You want to know me…' Tia cooed, leaning over him.  
'There'll be no knowing here!' Jack exclaimed, separating them. 'We've come for help and we're not leaving without it.' He led her away.

Lawrence looked at them interact with each other; there definitely was history between the two, and Jack was being so jealous! She wondered under what circumstances they had met and whether they had really been lovers at one point.

She focused again on the conversation when she heard Will ask about the drawing of the key.  
'The compass you bartered from me, it cannot lead you to this?' the swamp-witch slyly smiled at Jack, enjoying a private joke.  
'Maybe. Why?'  
'Aah. Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants. Or do you know but are loath to claim it as your own. Your key go to a chest. And it is what lay inside the chest you seek. Don't it?' The woman looked at Lawrence then at the rest of the crew. 'You know of Davy Jones, yes? A man of the sea, a great sailor. Until he run afoul of that which vex all men…'

Will voiced Lawrence's perplexity.  
'What vexes all men?'  
Tia Dalma touched his hand, giving a look of what seemed like longing.

'What indeed…?'

'The sea?' tried Gibbs. Lawrence rolled her eyes, sometimes Gibbs could be so thick, how could any man trap the sea into something that could be opened by a key!  
'Sums?' said Pintel, eyes glistening with hope.  
'The dichotomy of good and evil?' ventured Ragetti.

'Wait, how does he know such a thing?' Lawrence wondered, impressed.

'A woman!' Jack finally said, sighing with annoyance.

Tia Dalma turned to the only other woman in the room and gave her another smile then looked at the others.  
'A woman, he fell in love...'  
'No no no no, I heard it was the sea he fell in love with' Gibbs tried to correct her.  
'Same story, different version' she shrugged. 'And all are true. See it was a woman as changing, and harsh and untamable as the sea. He never stopped loving her, but the pain it caused him was too much to live with. But not enough to cause him to die...'  
'What exactly did he put into the chest?' Will asked.  
'Him heart!' she said, putting her hand over her chest. 'It was not worth feeling what small, fleeting joy life brings. And so, him carved out him heart, lock it down in a chest, and hide the chest from the world. The key he keep with him at all times.'

Will and Jack started to arguear.

'All that's left is to climb aboard _the Flying Dutchman_, grab the key, you go back to Port Royal and save your bonnie lass, aye?' Jack finally said.

_'The Flying Dutchman? Is he serious? Does he realise that this is a legend? Oh God… we're not going after Davy Jones for real?'_  
'Let me see your hand' Tia ordered, seizing his left one when he had given his other one.  
'The black spot!' Gibbs gasped, signing himself and performing a strange ritual to ward off evil spirit. Pintel and Ragetti did just the same.

Tia went to a closet and gave a jar filled with earth to Jack.  
'Davy Jones cannot make port. Cannot step on land but once every ten years. Land is where you will be safe, Jack Sparrow, and so you will carry land with you.

'Dirt... This is a jar of dirt.'  
'Yes.'  
'Is the... jar of dirt going to help?'  
'If you don't want it, give it back.'  
'No!' Jack exclaimed, clutching it close to his chest.  
'Then it helps.'  
'It seems... we have a need to find _the Flying Dutchman_' Will announced to stop this silly conversation.  
The voodoo-woman went to her table, dropped several bones and stones over the map that was spread out.

'Touch... of destiny!'

She instantly gave Jack the exact location of the legendary ship thanks to her black art.

Jack hurriedly thanked her and ordered his crew to go back to the ship, the sooner they found the _Flying Dutchman_, the better.

Lawrence followed them but Tia Dalma caught her arm with one hand and pulled her back.

She smiled at her, showing once again her grey teeth; she put a hand on the young woman's cheek. Lawrence knew she was no danger to her, so she didn't move away.

'Luck surrounds you, my child. It warms my heart to know some have brighter destiny than others… You will find him, sooner than you think. But his heart's corrupt. Only your love can save him…'

Lawrence opened her mouth to ask her what she meant by that, but the woman shook her head and gently showed her out. She went on board with Jack and Mr. Cotton and didn't say a word, thinking over and over the words Tia Dalma had privately said to her.

Jack leaned over, feeling suddenly talking now that he knew what to do.

'What did she say to you?'

'Nothing that concerns the mission…'

Jack narrowed his eyes.

'No really! It was, it was about James.'

'Ah… He'll try to win Elizabeth back and let you end up with Will?' he said meaning it as a joke but Lawrence gave him a side look that cut him short.

'Sorry. I didn't mean that. Being the perfect gentleman that he is, I'm sure he's anxiously waiting for you to come back and give you plenty of beautiful children!' he smiled, trying to amend himself.

'Oh my God, Jack!' Lawrence gasped. 'Why does it always revolve around the same thing, for Heaven's sake!'

'You'd better watch your language, young woman! I'm not so sure the Commodore would like you as much if you keep swearing like a pirate!'

She shrugged and smiled back at him.

'What can I say, I've learned from the best!'

The _Pearl_ caught sight of the _Flying Dutchman_ a few days after. Lawrence was disappointed to see that the ship didn't live up to the legend that surrounded him.

_'Surely, this can't be her; it's a wreck! I knew it was only a stupid legend!'_

She didn't agree with the plan, but one voice against a dozen wasn't much, so she watched Will sail away on a boat towards the wreckage.

From where they were, they couldn't see anything; except from Jack with his telescope.

Will had been gone for half an hour, she was starting to worry when suddenly she found herself threatened by a sword by someone who had seized her by the neck and who reeked rotten fish. She noticed the rest of the crew was in the same position as she was, and then she saw him. Davy Jones. Even a feverish dream wouldn't have conjured up such a creature. The man standing in front on her and threatening Jack looked hardly like a man; his whole face and beard was a green-yellowish octopus, one of his arms was made of tentacles, the other a giant crab claw; as for his legs, one looked human, and the other was like a crab-like peg leg.

'You have a debt to pay' the squid-face man threatened Jack. 'You've been Captain of the Black Pearl for thirteen years. That was our agreement.'  
'Technically, I was only Captain for two years, then I was viciously mutinied upon.'  
'Then you were a poor Captain, but a Captain nonetheless. Have you not introduced yourself all these years as 'Captain Jack Sparrow'?'  
'Yeah, I gave you payment. One soul to serve on your ship is already over there' Jack said, talking about Will.  
'One soul is not equal to another.'  
As the two captains argued over the price to pay and Will's worth, Lawrence examined the members of the crew of the _Flying Dutchman _and noticed with much repulsion that they all looked like sea-creatures, covered by mussels and bits of corals.

'Three days!' Davy Jones warned before disappearing with his crew.

Lawrence looked everywhere but they were nowhere to be seen. The whole crew had disappeared along with their ship.

'How do we intend to harvest these ninety-nine souls in three days?' she heard Gibbs ask.  
'Fortunately, he was mum as the condition in which these souls need be…'  
'Aah, Tortuga' nodded Gibbs in understanding.  
'Tortuga!' their Captain agreed.

'Jack!' Lawrence protested. 'What about Will? Where is he?'

'He's paying one hundredth of my debt, sweet heart…'

'What?! So you mean… we won't see him again then? You're leaving to die in their hands, or rather claws?'

'Nah, don't worry; he'll find his way back to us, and with the key. But for now' he said, putting his arm over her shoulder and squeezing her to his chest, 'we're going to Tortuga, how's that for a plan?


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimers: I don't own POTC nor its characters, although there are some I wouldn't mind to have for my own...**

**Thanks a lot to my readers, you are golden. Thank you!**

* * *

Tortuga hadn't changed a bit since the last time she had been there; the population was as wild and undisciplined as ever, if not even more. As she walked down the streets with Jack and Mr. Gibbs, she smiled fondly at the memory of the evening she had spent there in James' company; it seemed such a long time ago.

Jack decided that they would spend most of their day in the tavern he liked best in order to recruit as many people as he could, disregarding their qualities as sailors. Lawrence didn't like the idea of him tricking people to their death, but it was either them or her friends, so the choice wasn't that difficult to make in the end. The Empty Thrown was as usual overcrowded with rascals and prostitutes; there were drunk men at every corner, some playing dice, others fighting, some plotting, some sleeping over the table. She shook her head in despair when she saw the back of man wearing a tattered Navy uniform, getting busy with one of the wenches of the tavern.

'How the mighty have fallen…' she sighed.

Wearing clothes completely different from the ones she wore the last time she had been there, she got more attention than wanted from the male customers. Of course, Jack didn't do anything to shoo them off; he was rather enjoying seeing her getting rid of those parasites either by cursing them or threatening them with her sword; but as long as it worked, she didn't mind Jack not doing anything.

It was all fun and laughter, but in a few hours, only four men had enlisted; they would never reach even a tenth of their objective at this rhythm, Lawrence started to worry.

'Tell you what, sweet heart' Jack said, putting his hand on her shoulder, 'why don't you try to win the heart of some of those poor souls and get them to enrol for me, eh? I'm sure it won't be too difficult for you, considering your looks and your pretty pretty face!' he said, pinching her cheeks as if she were a child. She wriggled out of his embrace and punched his shoulder.

'You're despicable!'

'Aye, but you still love me!'

She rolled her eyes and started towards the tables.

'If any trouble happens to me because of your plan, I swear on the all mighty's head, you're gonna pay!'

'Tut tut, manners!' he laughed before waving her to go and sitting back behind a potted plan he used as a hideout.

While she was trying to win over some drunkards, she noticed from the corner of her eye that the man wearing the Navy uniform had gone to see Gibbs; she was curious to know what his story was but right at the moment, she accorded him barely a glance.

'…my story? It's exactly the same as your st-'

Lawrence turned her head quickly in the direction of the voice; she could have sworn this voice belonged to the man she loved. Before she could think a moment longer about how silly this idea was, because it simply was impossible, one of the men at the table she was grabbed her by her waist and tried to kiss her forcefully. She punched his face and pushed him to the ground, which knocked the pint of ale his comrade was having and the whole situation turned a fight which took considerable proportions as the man that had come to Gibbs had also started one. Soon after, the whole tavern had turned into a battleground where chairs and hats and blows flew alike. Lawrence looked at the scene with consternation and saw that Jack was running away by the upstairs door.

'Why does everything turn into a fight around here?' she said to herself. She shook her head and tried to find a way through to go out into the streets where, she hoped, the mood would be less belligerent.

As she was walking down the streets in the direction of the harbour, she saw a couple of men from the tavern carrying face down the man in the Navy uniform.

'Maybe throwing him into the sea will show him back to his senses' she concluded, watching them going away, but she didn't realise they were not going in the direction of any source of water.

After losing her way in the maze of obscure streets, she finally found her way back to the harbour and noticed that she kept crossing path with this same man in the Navy uniform. She walked faster to reach him and touched his arm.

'Are you alright, mate?' she worried and instantly wrinkled her nose._ 'My God, this man reeks!'_

The man shook her hand off and slowly turned round to see who was annoying him now.

Lawrence froze, her eyes growing wide and her mouth hanging open in shock.

The man frowned and narrowed his eyes.

'James!' 'Elizabeth?' they said at the same time.

Lawrence felt a sharp pain in the pit of her stomach, her heart skipping a beat.

_'Wh-what is happening? Was the water that I drunk poisoned or was it rum? This-this can't be happening, first finding him here in such a state, then having him mistake me for Elizabeth? No no no no no. Please God, tell me it's a bad dream!' _She was unconsciously reaching out for his arm. He looked awful; his eyes looked vacant, his face and the beard he had grown were covered in mud and excrements, his wig was impossibly dirty and dishevelled, and barely covered his unruly long hair.

'Oh James… what has the world done to you?' Hearing this very sentence twice in less than ten minutes brought him back to his senses.

'L-Lawrence?' He blinked a few times then stared at her, swallowing hard.

Lawrence didn't know what to do now, time was standing still; of all the possible scenarios, she would never have thought of that one. Despite everything, she managed to give him a small smile.

'I-I thought you wer-' He never finished his sentence; he turned round and bend over to throw up in the sea.

Lawrence sighed and helped him up, putting an arm under his arms and helping him towards the _Pearl_. Maybe out of shame or due to the shock, James didn't say a word, nor looked at her.

'…meaning William Turner, Captain Sparrow' said another voice that sounded familiar to Lawrence. _'Now what? What has this young lad got to do with Will?_  
'Elizabeth? You know these clothes do not flat-'

'Elizabeth?' Lawrence gasped out loud. 'By the seven Hells, won't this crazy evening ever end?' she swore out loud. James looked at her in shock, his Lawrence would never swear in such a way…

'Jack, I know Will came to find you, where is he?'  
'Darling, I am truly unhappy to have to tell you this, but through an unfortunate and entirely unforeseeable series of circumstances that had nothing whatsoever to do with me, poor Will has been press-ganged into Davy Jones's crew.'

'Davy Jones?'

James moved away from Lawrence and threw up once more.

'Oh, please' he said, his voice really just how much he had drunk. 'The Captain of the Flying Dutchman?'

'You look bloody awful, what are you doing here?' Jack asked

'You hired me! I can't help it, if your standards are lax…'

'You smell funny. Oh and look, Lawrence is here too! I'm glad you've finally found your significant other sweet heart, not at his best though…'

'Jack!' interjected Elizabeth. 'All I want is to find Will.'

Lawrence was still wondering what to do; Tia Dalma had warned her about James, she had said that his heart was corrupt and that only her love could save him; but would she find a trace of her James, of the man he used to be? She wasn't sure, but she would try. In any case, at the moment he was a man in need of help, and help she would provide him.

She helped him climb the boarding plank of the _Black Pearl_, beginning to get accustomed to his stink.

'Hey, look who Rush has found!' Ragetti said, pointing the newcomers.

'Welcome to the crew, former Commodore' Pintel mock-bowed.

James was about to strike him when Lawrence lowered his hand and took it in hers. She glared at Pintel.

'Now really isn't the time! Come on James, let's put you somewhere until you sober up…'

She sat him on a chest on the main desk, making sure his back was against the mizzen mast so that he didn't fall down.

She let him alone to fetch a pail of water; on her way, she saw Elizabeth and went to see her.

'I'm glad to have another woman on board. I was beginning to feel a bit lonely!' she laughed.

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, looking her up and down.

'Charlotte? Charlotte Reynolds?' she exclaimed, bewildered. 'What are you doing here? Are you a pirate now?'

'Actually, it's Lawrence... And yes, I guess I am.'

'My goodness, I never thought I'd see you here!' she said, hugging her friend.

'Me neither. I was awfully worried about you, first the abduction, and then Will told me about your wedding and your arrest…'

'Will? You-You know Will?'

'Yes. He was with us on the Pearl for quite some time, and he saved my life from cannibals! Long story, but yes, I do know him. I was there when he went to see Davy Jones.'

'You even saw Davy Jones? Oh you have to tell me everything!'

'And you too will have plenty of things to tell me, but first I need to see to James!' she squeezed her hand and left with her fresh water.

'Charlotte, wait! You also know James?' Elizabeth asked, but her friend was already away.

'Charlotte?' said Pintel who was passing by, laughing. 'You know, you can just call her Rush if you don't remember her name, that's shorter!'

Lawrence wet a rag and proceeded to clean James' face the best she could. He still hadn't said a word to her since he had first thrown up in the harbour, but she didn't mind for the moment; she too had plenty of things to think about.

'_Put him in the brig until he's sober, early in the morning…_'

She absentmindedly hummed a song as she took care of him, throwing away into the sea his hideous wig on the same occasion.

'You even sing pirate songs…' James finally said, with a tint of disgust in his voice.

Lawrence imperceptibly moved back, looking at him with reproach.

'Now, I don't think you're in the best position to judge anybody considering the state you're in.'

James glared at her with tired eyes. Lawrence shook her head.

'I don't even have the heart to fight with you… Come on, a good night's sleep and tomorrow you'll be right as rain!' She led him to her quarters and tried to take off his dirty coat.

'I can do it myself, _thank you_!' he said, moving away from her.

She raised her hands in sign of surrender.

'Fine, do as you want, but don't put dirt on my sheets, or I'll have your hide!' she said before slamming the door shut and going on the main deck.

'You two are already having a little domestic?' Jack smiled, nagging her ribs with his elbow.

'For your sake, don't even start, Jack!'

'I'll leave you with Lizzie then, you'll talk female stuff…' and off he went to the helm.

Lawrence went to see her friend who was on the other side of the deck, looking at the dark sea.

'I must say, you make a fine looking sailor, Elizabeth!'

Her friend smiled.

'And you a dashing pirate! I never thought I'd seen you wearing anything else but a dress.'

'Then you should have seen me in my Navy uniform then!'

'I beg your pardon? A Navy uniform?'

'Ah yes, I never told you that… Before we met you and I, back in Port-Royal, I had been an Ensign in the Navy for almost a year.'

'What?' Elizabeth couldn't believe her ears.

'Yes… Long story short, I took my dead brother's identity, hid from everyone that I was a woman, travelled on sea for a couple of months, became an officer under James' commands, one day he found out, shipped me to my nearest family without his knowing so, and then you saw me for the first time, as the very proper Charlotte Reynolds.'

'Oh Dear… So that's why you know James! You knew him from before! And after all this time you found him here…'

'Well, technically, yes and no… You see, after your abduction, I went into the Navy once again, and after a few months, was assigned back on his ship; because you know, we were close friends before, so he eventually forgave me he asked his superiors to have me back on board. Then we travelled together and ironically, as we were chasing down Jack to arrest him, we got caught in a terrible hurricane; the ship wrecked, I got rescued by Jack and became little by little a pirate. As for James, I don't know any more what happened to him… Our friends in the Navy told me he had arrived safely to Port-Royal but here I find him; bitter and drunk…'

'I knew there was something I liked in you! But I would never have guessed you went this far, I'm impressed!'

'Enough about me, Lizzie, tell me all that happened to you!'

And so the two friends shared their stories through the night, neither of them feeling the need to sleep; one because she was too excited to be on her to her fiancé, the other because she had too many things to process and also because her bed was presently occupied by the man she'd had been looking for for months.


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimers: I don't own POTC nor it's characters.**

**Thank you so much to my beautiful readers, you mean so much to me.**

**This chapter is a bit longer than any other, sorry, but not sorry, I'm sure you'll like that one!**

* * *

'Did you sleep well?' Lawrence inquired when she saw James emerge from her quarters around noon the next day.

He glanced at her and grunted as a form of reply before going to the railings to watch over the sea and clear his mind. Lawrence decided to follow him and get him to talk to her; she had grieved his death greatly, then tried all she could to find him, and now that she had, he was a complete different man; so far from the tall and proud officer of the Navy that he once had been, so far from the dignified man she had loved.

'You do realise that we need to talk about all this, James?'

No reply came from him. She put her hand on his arm, watching his face intently. She had to admit, the beard he had grown rather suited him well, it was a big change, but she liked it, as his wild hair loosely tied with a ribbon; she wondered whether it was hers. When she touched him, she was glad to see a flicker of warmth in his deep green eyes, or was it anger? His eyes finally locked with hers.

'You know, I'd rather see you at the bottom of the ocean than knowing that you've become a pirate!' he spat with an air of disgust. His bitter comment went right to her heart. _'He can't mean it, can he? He'd rather see me drowned?'_ She almost felt like crying, it was too much to bear; how could he mean that, had he changed that much?

'Well, that's rich coming from you! I think I remember pretty well the time when you said that you couldn't imagine how a man could fall so low and have no dignity left in him. You even said you'd rather die than become like one of them… And besides, I also remember seeing you in the arms of a prostitute when we were at the tavern, I didn't know it was you then, but if I had, I would have been all the more disgusted' she replied more angrily than she would have liked.

'And _I_ remember you saying that you would never become a pirate, even if you had nothing left!'

'How can you s-'

'Rush!' Gibbs touched her shoulder, stopping her in what she was saying.

Lawrence took a deep breath before turning round; nobody deserved her anger, except James.

'Yes, Mr. Gibbs?' she said, her voice still slightly trembling with anger.

'The Captain needs you…'

She nodded.

'I'm coming right away!' She didn't turn round to look at James, she was too angry and too hurt but what he had said, and climbed up the stairs leading to the top deck.

'Ah Lawrence!' Jack said, 'would you mind being at the helm for a while? Just the time for me to look at our headings; Elizabeth may have given us a course to follow but I'd prefer to get an idea of where we're going first before discovering it at the last moment…'

'Of course Jack, anything to help you' she replied, genuinely meaning it.

'Jack…' she said, after a few minutes at the wheel, looking at him with narrowed eyes.

'Yes, love?' he replied, his head in the maps and a pair of dividers in hand.

'Did you really need _me_ at the helm, at this precise moment?' she inquired, suspicious.

'Of course I needed you here!'

'So it has nothing to do with James and me arguing then?'

'No…' he said, looking at her with a little smile. She raised an eyebrow, encouraging him to continue.

'Well, I may or may have not done it on purpose… A Captain needs his crew to be in the best mood possible, and all that, you've already heard that sort of speech before; and I've noticed that the tension between the two of you was anything but the kind of romantically lifted kind of tension. Therefore, contrary to all expectations, given my important role on board of this ship, I decided to sort you out of this negatively charged situation.'

Lawrence blinked, surprised and touched by Jack's good intentions.

'Thank you, Jack.'

'What do you think, I used to do the same for Pintel and Ragetti!' he smiled, giving her a wink. Lawrence laughed good heartedly at his joke; it felt good to count Jack among her friends, she really liked the man.

From below, James lifted his head when he heard Lawrence laughing with Jack; something in his stomach stirred. He couldn't tell what it was, but all he felt at this moment was resentment. Somehow, he felt betrayed; he thought he had lost her forever, he had tried to drink his pain away for months, and then she found him; but now she was a pirate, and friend with Sparrow on top on that. She had become all he once despised; and yet he couldn't help but think that she had not really changed in the end. It was strange for him to see her wearing something other than the Navy uniform he had always known her wearing; but he had to admit, her new way of dressing flattered her more, the dark shirt matching her tanned skin and bringing out all the more the blue-grey of her eyes and the golden hue of her hair. Yes, even dressed as a pirate, she was still incredibly beautiful to him. But what stroke him the most was her kindness, that much hadn't changed; the previous night, she had asked him how he felt before she even knew who he was, then she had looked after him and helped him go through with his hangover; even with the other members of the crew she seemed to treat them as she would any friend, she was always here when help was needed, and always prone to smile and laugh at any moment.

_'Maybe I've been wrong about her, maybe I shouldn't have treated her so harshly…'_

Lawrence was still at the helm when she saw James coming up to Elizabeth, who was looking at the horizon, lost in her thoughts after her discussion with Jack. He nonchalantly leaned against the rails, next to her. The air was still, so Lawrence could hear everything that was said just below her.

'It's a curious thing' James began, 'there was a time I would give anything for you to look like that while thinking about me…'  
'I don't know what you mean' Elizabeth replied, unsure.  
'Oh, I think you do!' James said, giving her the look and smiling at her.

Lawrence swallowed with difficulty, her chest suddenly hurting. _'So he doesn't want to talk with me, barely looks at me, and now he's all smiles with Lizzie… Maybe that's what I dreaded then, perhaps what happened during the hurricane was just something on the spurr of the moment and he never really loved me; but never ceased to love Elizabeth, despite her engagment to Will… I shouldn't have listened! There, curiosity kills the cat; let is serve you as a lesson Lawrence, you fool.'_  
'Oh, don't be absurd, I trust him, that's all!' Elizabeth said emphatically.  
James laughed, rolling his eyes, and walked away, saying:

'So you never wondered how your latest fiancé ended up on the Flying Dutchman in the first place…' He shook his head and continued walking.

When Lawrence was relieved from her post, she climbed down the stairs and went to help Marty with the rigging. On her way, she noticed James walking up towards her as though he finally wanted to talk, but she hastened her pace to avoid him; the last thing she needed right now was to argue with him once again, especially after his discussion with Elizabeth.

'You should have tried harder to win her heart James, instead of mine; you would have been far happier…' she thought sourly.

In the evening, Lawrence and Elizabeth had agreed in sharing their quarters; this way they would be able to catch up on lost time and James would have a room of his own; although he didn't know a thing about this arrangement. She didn't resent Elizabeth for being the source of James' smiles; Lawrence knew that she had refused James once and would do it again, she loved Will too dearly, that much was obvious, but also, she sensed a certain weakness on her friend's part towards Jack. True, Jack was a fine man, in his own quirky ways, and always knew how to cheer you up, voluntarily or not, but she wasn't sure he would be a good match for any one, especially not Lizzie. Her friend was reckless, but not up to that point, she hoped.

'Rush!' shouted Pintel to catch her attention. 'It's your turn to scrub the deck this morning!'

'No it isn't…'

'Yes it is!' he said, giving her a brush.

Of all the tasks to do on any ship, scrubbing the floor was one of the worst, but a necessary one nonetheless, for many reasons; by scrapping the salt off the wooden planks, the deck would wrap; it was a good way to know whether a part of the ship was weaker than any other due to some shock; and it prevented splinters from sticking themselves into the sailors' feet.

Lawrence complied and started at the forepart of the _Pearl_, gently humming to pass the time.

'Why do you call her Rush when her name is Lawrence?' James inquired.

Gibbs smiled at the memory.

'Well, because it's the first impression she gave to the men on board; barely two minutes after we saved her, she was already rushing to the ledge to throw herself into the sea. And she tried at least twice out of three.'

James startled, eyes wide in shock.

'Why on earth would she do such a thing?'

Gibbs shifted uncomfortably.

'Because of you actually… She was devastated by your loss; she kept calling out your name, hoping you would be here. So when we told her that she was the only survivor, she tried to kill herself.'

James was astounded by what his former subordinate was telling him; he had never thought about Lawrence's reaction after the wreck, even more so about her wishing to kill herself because of his death, he hadn't suspected the depth of her love.

'What was the third reason then?' he asked after a pause, still looking at her in the distance.

'Ah yes! The third one was because she had drunk a bit too much rum after Jack had forced her to calm down and suggested her to drown her sorrow with alcohol. And I must say, it worked pretty well! After that, she never tried to do anything stupid again.'

_'Lawrence, drinking? I definitely have to talk to her; she shouldn't have suffered that much.'_

'I thank you for your explanations, Mr. Gibbs.'

'My pleasure, sir' Gibbs said, bowing then catching himself. He didn't need to bow to him anymore, Norrington was but a mere sailor on board of this ship.

After three hours of work, Lawrence rose up, cracking her back to relieve the pain, and walking towards her quarters to sit on the bed she shared with Elizabeth and rest for a bit.

'Lawrence, wait, I-' James said, when she passed by him.

'Not now, please…' She didn't want to argue with him when she felt tired, she knew she would say things she didn't meant if they did. She kept up walking and threw herself onto the bed, falling asleep seconds later.

James waited for her to go out, but after ten minutes, he noticed she was still inside.

_'Is she avoiding me? Am I not worth her time now that I am a common sailor?'_ This idea saddened him; he would try and talk to her at the first occasion, if only to clarify things.

Lawrence woke up a couple of hours later, feeling refreshed. She went on the deck, trying to find Jack to ask them when they would arrive to their potentially intended destination, but as she walked, she felt a hand catching her arm.

'We need to talk!' James said, slightly irritated. He led her to the forecastle, where he hoped they would have more privacy, his hand still on her.

'What is it, James? You want to reproach me of my choices once again? Tell me I'm worthless and should have died with the others?' Lawrence sighed, shaking off his hand.

'Good gracious, Lawrence no! I would never say such a thing! Although I reckon I did say that and… That is why I brought you here. I wanted to apologise for my recent behaviour and for everything. I-I never meant what I said the other day; part of the blame is to put on the shock I had to see you again.' He looked down then locked his eyes on her, his hand reaching instinctively her.

'Jack?' Elizabeth asked, watching at the two from the top deck. 'Do you know if there is something more between Lawrence and James? They look really close to me for mere former Navy officials…'

'Ah!' Jack smiled, looking in that direction also. 'Law' didn't tell you anything about sweet Norrington then?'

'She did mention that they were on a mission together before their ship sank, but nothing more, no…'

'I see. Well, my dear, those two that you see yonder aren't mere Navy comrades, but rather two desperate lovers that everything pulls apart, tragically struck by Fate at the beginning of their story together; and now, they have to rebuild everything again on new ground, and let the seed of love grow higher and stronger, so they would-'

Elizabeth rose her eyebrow and looked at him sideways.

'Stop playing with me, Jack. If you don't know, you can just admit it…'

'Oh it _is_ the truth, dearie. Just ask them if you want, although they would certainly lie to you about it considering Norrington's former love to you, and the fact that your friend didn't talk to you about him, which in itself is revealing. But apart from that, yes, they really are involved romantically speaking. I'll need to pass a rule on board about them not kissing or anything in front of everybody, or being too loud with their business. I don't want any of this on my ship; especially when I'm not one of the-'

'Jack! Stop it, I don't want to hear more than I need to!' Elizabeth gasped. 'I never thought James would fall for someone like Lawrence, especially given who she had become now…'

Lawrence suddenly relaxed at the feeling of his hand in hers; it felt so familiar, she had missed this sensation. For the first time in months, the butterfly in her stomach stirred again.

'I know what you must think of me seeing how I ended up, but know that I never stopped grieving you, Lawrence' James confessed.

Lawrence shook her head in despair, caressing the back of his hand with her thumb, her other hand cupping his cheek.

'What happened to you, James? Just… how did this happen?'

James looked down in shame.

'I… When I thought I had lost you, I thought I had lost my mind. I went to Port-Royal to report on our failed mission; the new administration made me face a court-marshal where I was blamed and relieved of my duties, my titles taken from me. I had nothing else to hold on; I'm almost glad Andrew and Theodore were not there to witness my fall. I-I am ashamed to admit it, especially to you; I've spent the next months gambling, drinking, living a depraved life… I would have lived on like this till somebody killed me in a fight, or till my absorption of alcohol was too high for my senses to go on. But you found me…' he lifted his eyes, the warmth coming back to them once more. 'You helped me, pulled me out of this dark place I had hidden myself in. You took care of me the instant you recognized me, and I was too drunk, too drunk to acknowledge your kindness, and rejoice of your presence. That was rude, that was ungrateful of me. And I even blamed you for who you've become, without asking you the reasons. I was still blinded by my former prejudices, and I judged you too promptly and too harshly. Without a doubt, you have all the reasons to be who you are, to sail with whoever you want, even if he is a pirate and that this said pirate is a certain Jack Sparrow. And here I am now, apologising for everything. I understand why you don't want to talk to me anymore; I would do just the same in your place, and I don't blame you for this, nor for anything. You are alive, and well, and apparently happy; that is all that matters to me; I can ask no more. But I promise, I make this solemn promise to you, I will become the man I once was. And one day, you will be proud to hear once again the name of James Norrington. Just… don't give up on me yet, please.'

James' speech hit her like a wave; she would never have expected to hear such raw and painful confessions from her former Captain, especially not given the man he had become. She was outraged to hear about his destitution; how could such a thing happen? Wasn't the administration of Port-Royal a just assembly? How could you blame a man for a shipwreck? Now that she had all the elements, she began to understand how James ended up like this, although it did not justify everything; no man is impervious to such blasts, and on this, James was a man like any other. She couldn't even blame his drinking as she had done the same the first day she had been on the _Black Pearl_; though it is true, she had quickly gathered herself up, but maybe the circumstances were different after all. _'Did James really say that part of his drinking was because he grieved my death, or have I imagined it? If he did, should I see more to it?'_ She was also happily surprised by his forgiveness, after all, she _was_ a pirate and a friend of Captain Jack Sparrow, all that he once hated with a burning passion. And there was still hope for him, he wanted to amend himself and gain back the dignity he had trampled on.

During his soliloquy, she had felt her chest tighten, all of her emotions had surged up within her, coming out only through the form of a few tears that couldn't be held anymore.

'Oh James… Of course, of course I forgive you. You have no reason to blame yourself anymore, and I know you will rise again, like the phoenix from its ashes.' She seized his hand with both of hers, still looking at him intently.

'I believe in you, James Norrington.'


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimers: Potc isn't mine nor are the characters belonging to this franchise.**

**Thank you to all my readers, you are awesome, and I love you!**

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Lawrence never resumed her work this day; she spent the rest of the afternoon telling James about that had happened since she had first set foot on the _Pearl_. James was impressed by how much she had seen and lived until then. In her twenty-two, twenty-three years, she had lived far more things than he had in thirty-two. He knew things would never be as they were before, but he would try all he could to her heart back; now that he had found her, he swore he would never to let her go again, and only once he had gained back his former position, he would propose to her, for he reckoned he loved her more than ever, pirate or not.

They spent the next days talking to each other if they had a task to do together or when they didn't have anything else to do, as in old times. Their change of behaviour was the occasion of a countless number of jokes from the members of the crew, including Jack Elizabeth, but neither of them cared much about it; they were mostly glad to have found each other again, if not from where they had left off, at least from the time when they were close friends, and on top of that, now they were on even ground as neither of them was the superior of the other.

As they were talking about the new changes that had happened in the other colonies as well, James suddenly touched her forehead with the tip of his fingers, and let his thumb slide over all the length of her face. Lawrence looked at him with wide eyes, startled, stopping in the middle of her sentence, her cheeks getting redder.

'You-you had a bit of tar on your face…' he said, smiling.

'Oh!'

'It must have been the ropes…'

'Probably yes. But I suppose that now you've spread it all over my face, haven't you?'

James voluntarily looked away, his eyes glistening with malice.

Lawrence laughed, punching gently in the arm.

'You are such a child, James!'

She slid her fingers on a rope nearby, smearing them with tar. She looked at him and frowned.

'Now, that is cheating!'

'What is?' James asked, surprised by such a statement.

'I can't even put some tar all over your face because of your beard… It wouldn't be as noticeable as on bare cheeks.'

James pretended to look contrite. 'Oh, I'm sorry that you don't like my beard, I rather like it myself.'

'I do like your beard!' Lawrence exclaimed before blushing even more when she realised she may have sounded a bit too enthusiastic.

'You do?' James smiled, knowing how embarrassed she felt but taking advantage of the situation as any friend would in such circumstances.

'I mean… It is a good improvement.'

'That, and the absence of that wig that you hated so, am I right?' His smile reached his eyes, making them shine even brighter than before. She so loved to see him this happy; in this moment, she wished she could kiss him but she wasn't sure of his reaction. They had talked about everything but their last moments on board of the _Dauntless_. Lawrence laughed, surprised that he remembered this detail.

'You are absolutely right!'

One day, they finally saw the island where the chest of Davy Jones was supposed to be hidden. Lawrence having been on watch duty the previous night, she was still asleep when they arrived.

'I'm coming with you!' James said to Jack, Elizabeth, Pintel and Ragetti as they were all ready to set sails with the boat that would lead them to the island.

'Why? We don't need you yet… And you wouldn't leave Lawrence behind!' Jack said, narrowing his eyes and clutching to his jar of dirt.

'She needs to sleep, and I don't want to miss an opportunity of proving your failure, Sparrow. This chest doesn't exist, and I want to be there to see your face and tell you that I told you so!'

Jack grunted, saying words that no one clearly understood.

James jumped into the boat then the small company rowed towards the island.

A few hours later, Lawrence woke up and tried to find James on the deck.

'Mr. Gibbs… Have you seen James? And… where is Jack, and Elizabeth?' she began to look everywhere, worried by the absence of her friends.

'Ah, yes err… They went to the island without you, I fear. They wanted to let you sleep, and besides, they should be long now, it's been almost three hours!'

'Three hours? They should be here by now! Where are they? I'm going after them!' she said, going to her quarters to take her sword. When she came back, she looked at the only boat left on board of the _Pearl_ with the intention of using it to reach them.

'Can't let you go, Rush. I'm sorry.'

'What? But why? Anything could have happened to them! And look, why is there another boat on the island if they only used one?'

'Ah yes, that's Will Turner's! I don't know how he did this, but the boy came out of nowhere and there he was, on the island.'

'Oh I'm glad then, Elizabeth must be so thrilled! Although I do find this strange indeed, this sudden appearance…'

'Look over there!' screamed Marty, pointing at the island.

Lawrence turned back and saw more shapes than the ones supposed to belong to her friends, they were being pursued by other pirates!

'Gibbs, we must do something now, we must help them!' she said, fear in her eyes.

'No, look they're getting back into the boat it seems!'

'Yes… expect from one. Where is the telescope?'

'Jack has it on him…'

Lawrence hit her fist on the rails out of anger.

'Let them be ok, let them be ok, let them be ok.'

The whole crew of the _Pearl_ looked with attention at the scene that unfolded before their eyes and in which they could do nothing.

Gibbs saw that the person Lawrence was looking the most for wasn't present in the boat that was getting closer and closer; he was relieved that she hadn't found out yet, but it was only a matter of minutes now.

'Why don't you find some blankets for them? I'm sure they are drenched to the bone and we wouldn't want any of them to be sick.'

'We don't have any blankets yet!' Lawrence said, warily.

'Then go find something that would work instead. I think we have some old sails in the magazine, or some chests in the hold.'

'But we don't-'

'Talking won't make them easier to find! They will be on board and won't have anything to dry themselves because of all this talk!'

'Alright, alright, I'm coming' she exclaimed, surprised by Gibbs urgent tone.

_'What is it with imperatively getting dry, so suddenly? We've came back on board completely wet more than once and never complained about it… But I won't argue with Gibbs, he must know what he's doing.'_

She looked everywhere in the hold, chests after chests, and there were many, but nothing, she couldn't find any old sail or cloth that would work as such. The magazine proved to be as empty. She faintly heard commotion upstairs._ 'They're back! Oh, damn with those sails, they will do as we always do, that is to say, without anything to dry themselves, and Gibbs can find them itself those sails!'_

She climbed up the several flights of stairs as quickly as she could. The first face she saw was Will, it had been quite a time since she had last seen him and she was glad to see that he was well, expect for a few scratches, and at last with Elizabeth, who had lost her jacket apparently. She kept scanning the new comers, looking for injuries. Pintel and Ragetti seemed perfectly fine, as did Jack, who had lost his jar of dirt, and…

'James? Where's James?' she asked, worry betraying her voices.

Jack turned to her then looked away and gave a few orders to get the ship sailing at this precise moment and not wait another minute; Elizabeth winced; Will looked at her, uneasy.

'No. No you can't t-' Lawrence rushed to the direction of the rails but Will held her by the arms. She tried to free herself from him but he was holding her too tightly.

'I need to find him!' Tears were already flowing down her cheeks. _'This can't be happening. Not now. Not again. How many times do I have to lose him?'_

'You can't…' Elizabeth intervened.

'It's too dangerous' Will added. 'There are too many pirates. We've been attacked by the crew of Davy Jones; and you know that we can't kill them…'

'But he's going to die! Why wasn't he with you in the first place?'

'He-he, I'm sorry Lawrence. He betrayed us, I tried to kill me to have the key… That's why it took us so long. Then we got attacked…'

'And he stayed to save us, Will!' Elizabeth said. 'He sacrificed himself to save us all…'

'Lawrence!'

She turned her head towards the source of the shout. _'Is it madness already?'_ She could have sworn she had heard James' voice but he wasn't there.

'Lawrence!' she heard again, this time with more urgency.

All had turned their heads in the direction of the sea, as surprised if not shock, as she was.

Still crying, she ran to the rails and there she saw him; James was calling out her name from a boat.

'James, you're alive! I-I why don't you come on board?'

'I'll explain to you later. Just be quick!'

'What? But… are you mad? What is happening James? Just come!'

'Please, hurry, I don't want to leave without you, but I will do it anyway if you choose to stay on the _Pearl_…'

'James, I don't understand…'

'Please…' His voice betrayed his emotions; something wasn't right, at all; but between the _Pearl_ and James, the choice was easily made.

Lawrence turned to Elizabeth and kissed her cheek in a hurry then look at her and Will, taking both their hands.

'Best of luck, my friends… Jack!' she shouted to him so that he could hear her from the helm. 'Thank you, for-for everything!' She quickly scanned the crew of the _Black Pearl._ 'I shall miss you all my friends. I hope to see you all one day!'

She looked at them once more, one last time at Jack who had taken his hat off to wave her goodbye, and then she jumped into the sea.

The water was dreadfully cold, but at least she wouldn't have much distance to swim. When she reached the boat, James helped her in and wrapped her in his shabby Navy jacket from which a strange leather book fell, which caused Laurence to look at it suspiciously.

'I promise, we'll talk about all this later, but first, we must put as much distance as we can between us, the _Flying Dutchman_, and the _Black Pearl_. Can you row?'

'Of course, I'm drenched, not armless!'

And so they rowed for a few hours, without stopping, encouraging the other in turn to continue. They eventually arrived on the shores of Eastern Hispaniola; as soon as they lead their boat to the land, they threw themselves on the sand and lied on their back, eyes closed, and arms spread, both feeling exhausted. After a while, straightened herself up, still sitting on the sand, and looked at James. She was so relieved to see him alive; she really had feared the worst had happened, again. James opened his eyes when he heard her sniffing; when he saw her face, he sat in the same position, his brow furrowed.

'What is it Lawrence?'

She smiled through her tears, shaking her head.

'It's just that I love you so much. I thought I had lost you once again…'

James opened his mouth in surprise, he moved closer to her and cupped her face in his hands, looking straight into her eyes.

'I promise to never leave you again, Lawrence; I promise.'

He kissed her gently on the lips, still holding her face. Lawrence returned his kiss instantly, pouring in all the pain she had felt since their last one. James gently pushed her down on the sand, using the weight of his chest, never breaking their connection, and took advantage of her start when she hit the ground to deepen the kiss even more. His hands hungrily roamed all over her body, hers gripped at his shirt.

'Oi, mate! You're going to stifle her!' a gravelly voice said from behind them.

They pulled back, out of breath and surprised by such an interruption. An old man walked past them, laughing.

Lawrence also laughed at the situation. She turned to look at James, feeling so euphoric and overwhelmed with joy. She took his hand and kissed him once more.

'Come on' she said rising up to her feet, his hand still in hers, 'let's find out where we are!'

James couldn't stop smiling, this time they would have all the time in the world for themselves; and no hurricane to stop them.

They asked the man where they were and learned they had arrived in Buena Esperanza, a small village near Santo-Domingo; they both took this as a good sign. They knew there would be ships to carry them anywhere from Santo-Domingo or they could just stay in this place a while longer; after all, nothing was waiting for them anywhere else.

'This is a good place for a new beginning' Lawrence said, holding James hand and looking at him, eyes filled with unconditional love and boundless hope.

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**Here we are then, last chapter of this story...  
**  
**Thank you so so so much to all of you my faithful readers you have encouraged me by your views, follows, favouriting, and comments/private mails.**

** Without you, I'm not sure this story would have lasted more than a few chapters, but you helped me go through with what I had imagined; you helped me push myself further by your encouragements and kindness (even the casual readers who have stopped long ago, well I guess they won't read this message but anyway...).**

**I am truly touched by the attention you've given this story, especially since it was the first time I had ever written something that lenghty in English (well, I've never written that much in my native language now that I come to think of it), AND since I have never, not even once, re-read any chapter, so I know there must be a lot of mistakes (eh, I wrote those chapters at crazy hours!). I promise, one day I will reread it and make some ameliorations, one day.**

**There may be a sequel to this story in a more or less distant future, who knows... Keep a weathered eye on the horizons, mates!**


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